On Tuesday, in Plumhoff v Rickard, the United States Supreme Court addressed qualified immunity from damages liability in the context of the use of deadly force by police during a high speed chase. Police fired multiple rounds at the fleeing vehicle, contributing to the death of the driver and a passenger. The plaintiff alleged an unreasonable seizure under the 4th amendment. The court held that the use of deadly force was reasonable given the threat to public safety posed by the drivers reckless behavior. The court also held that, in any event, the officers are entitled to qualified immunity because they did not violate any clearly established law. Qualified immunity is a judge-made doctrine that shields individual government officers from damages liability for alleged constitutional violations, where the agents did not violate clearly established rights.
Posted on: Sat, 31 May 2014 11:18:31 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015