In a 9-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court addressed whether police officers were justified in using deadly force in response to a dangerous motorist who attempted to flee the officers’ arrest and whether qualified immunity should have been granted. The Court concluded that the officers used objectively reasonable force consistent with the Fourth Amendment and granted them qualified immunity. This case analysis provides an assessment of the Court’s decision, a review of prior use of force case decisions, and the requirements for awarding qualified immunity. Implications of the case decision are discussed.
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8.
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9.
Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386 (1989).
10.
Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800, 806 (1982)
11.
International Association of Chiefs of Police. (2012, January). Officer safety and risk management: Avoiding and mitigating officer deaths, assaults, and injuries (pp. 1–28.). Alexandria, VA: National Law Enforcement Policy Center.
12.
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13.
McGuinnessJ. M. (2009, Spring). A primer on North Carolina and Federal use of force law: Trends in Fourth Amendment doctrine, qualified immunity, and state law issues. Campbell Law Review, 31, 1–71.
14.
Medeiros v. Town of Dracut, 21 F. Supp. 2d 82 (D. Mass. 1998).
15.
Pace v. Capobianco, 283 F. 3d 1275 (2002).
16.
Pearson v. Callahan, 555 U.S. 751 (2009).
17.
PetrowskiT. D. (2002, November). Use of policies and training: A reasonable approach, part two. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 71, 24–32.
18.
Plumhoff v. Rickard, 571 U.S. ___ (2014).
19.
Reichle v. Howards, 132 S. Ct. 2088 (2012).
20.
Robinson v. Arrugueta, 415 F. 3d 1252 (11th Cir. 2005).
21.
RossD. L. (2013). Assessing lethal force liability decisions and human factors research. Journal of Law Enforcement Executive Forum, 13, 85–107.
22.
RossD. L.MurphyR. L.HazlettM. (2012). Analyzing perceptions and misperceptions of police officers in lethal force virtual simulator scenarios. Journal of Law Enforcement Executive Forum, 12, 53–73.
23.
Saucier v. Katz, 533 U.S. 194, 203-205 (2001).
24.
Scott v. Clay County, 205 F. 3d 867 (6th Cir. 2000).
25.
Scott v. Harris, 550 U.S. 127 (2007).
26.
Smith v. Freland, 954 F. 2d 343, 347 (6th Cir. 1992).
27.
StoneM. P.BergerM. J. (2009). The scope of qualified immunity in civil rights cases. AELE Monthly Law Journal, 2, 501–508.
28.
Sykes v. United States, 131 S. Ct. 2267 (2011).
29.
Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1 (1985).
30.
Terrell v. Smith, No. 10-14908 (11th Cir. 2012).
31.
Van Vorous v. Burmeister, 96 Fed. Appx. 312, 314 (6th Cir. 2004).
32.
Wilkinson v. Torres, 610 F. 3d 546 (9th Cir. 2010).
