The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rejected the 5th Circuit's 'moment of threat' rule used to evaluate police use of deadly force during a traffic stop. This ruling came in the case of Barnes v. Felix, involving a Houston police officer who fatally shot Ashtian Barnes during a 2016 traffic stop for unpaid tolls. The Court held that courts must consider the totality of circumstances surrounding the incident, rather than focusing solely on the seconds immediately preceding the shooting. This decision revives a civil rights lawsuit filed by the mother of Barnes, allowing her to pursue claims against the officer for excessive force. The ruling potentially broadens the standard for evaluating police shootings and may make it easier for victims to prove allegations of unreasonable force.
The court yesterday rejected a doctrine used to throw out a civil rights suit brought against a police officer who shot and killed Ashtian Barnes during a 2016 traffic stop. The lower court had examined only the two seconds leading up to the shooting. https://t.co/MTTgUb9PpR
WFTV: The U.S. Supreme Court issued a rare unanimous ruling in Barnes v. Felix, a case concerning excessive force during a traffic stop. https://t.co/ebXfZ4xeBz
https://t.co/mFgawMnGwX Il m’arrive jamais de me réjouir d’une décision de justice tant celle-ci est quasiment toujours du côté des ordures criminelles et délinquantes. Mais là bravo aux juges qui ont relaxé ce policier qui avait tiré suite à refus d’obtempérer, stoppant net ce