deadly-force

44 cases — ← All topics

Case Title Lower Court Docketed Status Flags Tags Question Presented
25A903 Nima Moradi v. Florida Florida 2026-02-09 Application deadly-force ineffective-assistance jury-instructions prejudice-prong self-defense strickland-standard Question not identified.
25-859 Chelesy Eastep, as Surviving Spouse and Next of Kin of Landon Dwayne Eastep v. Steven Carrick, et al. Sixth Circuit 2026-01-20 Pending Response Waived deadly-force excessive-force fourth-amendment graham-v-connor qualified-immunity reasonableness-standard 1. Whether or how police officers' own creation of, or contribution to, a dangerous situation prior to the use of deadly force factors into the Fourth…
25-660 Nicole Klum, Estate of Bobby Jo Klum, et al. v. City of Davenport, Iowa, et al. Eighth Circuit 2025-12-08 Pending constitutional-rights deadly-force fourth-amendment police-action second-amendment use-of-force The decision below contravenes the Second Amendment right to "keep and bear arms," and the Fourth Amendment prohibition "against unreasonable searches…
25-637 Mark Hanneman, Minneapolis Police Officer, et al. v. Karen Wells, as Co-Trustee for the Next of Kin of Amir Rahkare Locke, et al. Eighth Circuit 2025-12-03 Denied Amici (2)Response Waived appellate-jurisdiction deadly-force fourth-amendment no-knock-warrant qualified-immunity use-of-force 1. When the Respondents' own factual allegations, the facts assumed by the courts, and the undisputedly authentic video footage, show the officer was …
25-71 Matthew Farney, et al. v. Michael Rose, as Personal Representative for the Estate of Bradley Rose and on Behalf of all Statutory Beneficiaries of Bradley Rose, Deceased Ninth Circuit 2025-07-21 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) deadly-force excessive-force fourth-amendment police-encounter qualified-immunity summary-judgment 1. This Court has never applied the obvious case exception to qualified immunity's second prong in the Fourth Amendment context. Although the Court ha…
25A3 Milton Green v. Christopher Tanner, et al. Eighth Circuit 2025-07-01 Presumed Complete deadly-force excessive-force fourth-amendment qualified-immunity reasonable-officer second-amendment Question not identified.
24-1214 Jared Cosper, in His Individual Capacity, et al. v. Perla Enriquez Baca, as Personal Representative of Amelia Baca, Deceased Tenth Circuit 2025-05-29 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) deadly-force edged-weapon excessive-force qualified-immunity tenth-circuit use-of-force 1. Whether the Tenth Circuit may establish a bright line rule for an officer's use of deadly force against a suspect armed with an edged weapon as in …
24-1051 Michael Nissen v. Javier Ambler, Sr., Individually and on Behalf of All Wrongful Death Beneficiaries of Javier Ambler, II, the Estate of Javier Ambler, II, and as Next Friend of J. R. A., minor child, et al. Fifth Circuit 2025-04-04 Denied Amici (2)Response Waived deadly-force excessive-force fourth-amendment law-enforcement qualified-immunity use-of-force After a crash filled 20-minute high-speed car chase— caught on video by police helicopter—Javier Ambler II died while resisting being handcuffed due …
24-1047 Ethel "Laverne" McVae, Individually and on Behalf of the Estate of Marcus McVae, Deceased, et al. v. Jesse Perez Fifth Circuit 2025-04-03 Denied Response Waived deadly-force fourth-amendment law-enforcement qualified-immunity totality-of-circumstances use-of-force Nearly four decades ago, this Court drew a constitutional line: law enforcement may not use deadly force against an unarmed, fleeing suspect who poses…
24-886 Christopher Schurr v. Peter Lyoya, Personal Representative for the Estate of Patrick Lyoya, Deceased Sixth Circuit 2025-02-18 Denied Amici (1)Response Waived deadly-force law-enforcement pleading-stage qualified-immunity summary-judgment video-evidence 1. Whether Scott v. Harris permits courts to resolve qualified immunity at the pleading stage based on objective video evidence that demonstrates the …
24-406 Matthew Hunady v. Donna Chisesi, Administratrix of the Estate of Jonathon Victor, Deceased Eleventh Circuit 2024-10-11 Denied Response Waived circuit-court deadly-force interlocutory-review law-enforcement qualified-immunity standard-of-review Whether the Eleventh Circuit's decision that relied on the district court's use of a reasonable jury standard in a case arising from a law enforcement…
24-287 Jennifer Root Bannon, as the Special Personal Representative of the Estate of Juston Root v. David Godin, Boston Police Officer, et al. First Circuit 2024-09-12 Denied Relisted (2) circuit-split credibility-assessment deadly-force evidence-weighing factual-determination summary-judgment 1. Did the appeals court improperly create new summary judgment standards under which a court may assess the summary judgment record by making fact…
24-266 Calisia Kelley and Johnnie Mae Kelley, Co-Administrators of the Estate of Bruce Kelley, Jr. v. Brian O'Malley and Dominic Rivotti, in Their Individual Capacities as Police Officers for the Allegheny County Port Authority Third Circuit 2024-09-09 Denied Response Waived deadly-force factual-context graham-connor qualified-immunity tolan-cotton use-of-force I. In this deadly force case, the Third Circuit removed altogether from its definition of the 'specific factual context' of this case the Autopsy Repo…
24A166 Tidera Harris v. Gregory Harvey Eleventh Circuit 2024-08-12 Presumed Complete deadly-force excessive-force fourth-amendment law-enforcement qualified-immunity use-of-force Question not identified.
24-5036 Dalvon Curry, aka Dale, aka Dalo v. United States Second Circuit 2024-07-10 Denied Response WaivedIFP civil-rights combat-speech constitutional-protections deadly-force deadly-physical-force excessive-force law-enforcement penal-law retreat-duty self-defense use-of-force \AjaS %txt 6o&tCi**vV cvi^wce, Vo 'pehhov'ter ko^c-cbbor Czq^ctA by }vleuJ YorK Pencx,\ Unuj VW Xa>V v 35 \6 txYOO "po-Yif\onef l5 -£outore Vo feVfe«&…
23-1257 Santos Argueta, et al. v. Derrick S. Jaradi Fifth Circuit 2024-05-31 Denied Amici (5)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) 4th-amendment circuit-split civil-rights deadly-force factual-question qualified-immunity tennessee-v-garner use-of-force In Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1 (1985), this Court held that unarmed, nondangerous suspects fleeing officers can't simply be shot. But the decision…
23A863 Janice Hughes Barnes, Individually and as Representative of the Estate of Ashtian Barnes, Deceased v. Roberto Felix, et al. Fifth Circuit 2024-03-26 Presumed Complete deadly-force fourth-amendment graham-standard reasonableness-test traffic-stop use-of-force Question not identified.
23-644 City of Charlotte, North Carolina, et al. v. Azucena Zamorano Aleman, Individually and as Administrator of the Estate of Rubin Galindo Chavez Fourth Circuit 2023-12-14 Denied Amici (1) 42-usc-1983 civil-rights constitutional-rights deadly-force fourth-amendment law-enforcement precedent qualified-immunity use-of-force Whether the Fourth Circuit erred in the process it used to find a "clearly established" Fourth Amendment right because it used cases: (1) decided afte…
23-410 Estate of Gabriel Strickland, et al. v. Nevada County, California, et al. Ninth Circuit 2023-10-19 Denied 42-usc-1983 civil-rights deadly-force graham-factors graham-v-connor objective-reasonableness section-1983 totality-of-circumstances totality-of-the-circumstances use-of-force This case presents a unique question of law under 42 U.S.C. §1983 concerning the application of the "totality of the circumstances" test adopted in Gr…
23-5230 Steven Poppo v. Illinois Illinois 2023-07-28 Denied IFP assistance-of-counsel attempted-robbery constitutional-rights criminal-intent deadly-force due-process equal-protection fair-trial homicide self-defense use-of-force Question not identified.
22-1157 Craig Roper v. De'On Crane, et al. Fifth Circuit 2023-05-30 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) 4th-amendment civil-rights deadly-force excessive-force objective-reasonableness officer-safety police-conduct police-intervention qualified-immunity use-of-force vehicle-stop 1. Whether an objective police officer could have believed it reasonable to shoot a person who had warrants for his arrest, had locked the doors and r…
22-793 Paul Donald Davis, et al. v. Paul Waller, et al. Eleventh Circuit 2023-02-22 Denied circuit-split civil-rights deadly-force due-process hostage law-enforcement non-suspect-seizure qualified-immunity seizure use-of-force Whether the Eleventh Circuit misapplied the test for the constitutional use of deadly force set forth by this Court in Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1…
22-563 Randall Greer, Individually and as Personal Representative of the Estate of Christopher Greer, Deceased v. James Haman, et al. Eleventh Circuit 2022-12-20 Denied Response Waived deadly-force fourth-amendment graham-v-connor jury-instruction law-enforcement probable-cause self-defense tennessee-v-garner use-of-force A law enforcement officer's use of deadly force in self-defense is not constitutionally unreasonable. Courts throughout the nation universally agree t…
22-223 County of Riverside, California, et al. v. Estate of Clemente Najera-Aguirre, et al. Ninth Circuit 2022-09-12 Denied Amici (1) 9th-circuit clearly-established-law constitutional-rights deadly-force excessive-force law-enforcement ninth-circuit particularized-consideration qualified-immunity use-of-force 1. Did the Ninth Circuit's panel decision denying qualified immunity contravene this Court's mandate that courts should not hold officers to a standar…
22-8 Anthony Momphard, Jr., Individually and in His Official Capacity as a Deputy Sheriff of the Macon County Sheriff's Department, et al. v. Melissa B. Knibbs, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Michael Scott Knibbs Fourth Circuit 2022-07-01 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) 4th-amendment civil-rights constitutional-rights deadly-force due-process fourth-amendment law-enforcement police-use-of-force qualified-immunity use-of-force 1. Whether the Fourth Circuit erred in finding that a reasonable officer in Deputy Momphard's position would not have perceived a danger that justifie…
21-1559 Sharon Powell, as Executrix of the Estate of William David Powell, et al. v. Jennifer Snook, as Executrix for the Estate of Patrick Snook Eleventh Circuit 2022-06-14 Denied civil-rights constitutional-rights deadly-force due-process fair-notice fourth-amendment qualified-immunity totality-of-the-circumstances use-of-force 1. When the unconstitutionality of an officer's conduct is obvious, must the court, in addressing the "clearly established law" prong of a qualified i…
21-1422 Brett Ferris v. Chrystal Scism, Individually and as Administratrix of the Estate of Joshua Scism Second Circuit 2022-05-05 Denied Amici (2) 2nd-amendment civil-rights deadly-force due-process fourth-amendment lethal-force police-procedure qualified-immunity self-defense standing use-of-force Does the doctrine of qualified immunity shield a police officer from suit (not merely from judgment) where his/her split-second decision to deploy let…
21-1125 Matthew Schantz v. Benny Deloach Eleventh Circuit 2022-02-15 Denied Response Waived 4th-amendment civil-rights deadly-force fourth-amendment objective-reasonableness police-pursuit qualified-immunity summary-judgment traffic-stop use-of-force 1. Does the Fourth Amendment entitle police to seize all speeding motorists by shooting them, regardless of the circumstances and independently of any…
21-6586 Mark James Martinez v. California California 2021-12-13 Denied IFP california-law civil-rights common-law constitutional-right deadly-force due-process fundamental-right governmental-interest heightened-scrutiny imminent-harm self-defense Whether California's rule that self-defense is not available when a person does not act out of fear alone impermissibly infringes on the constitutiona…
21-789 Casey Benton v. Mary Bradley, as Administrator of the Estate of Troy Robinson, et al. Eleventh Circuit 2021-11-29 Denied clearly-established-law constitutional-rights deadly-force excessive-force fourth-amendment law-enforcement qualified-immunity taser-deployment tennessee-v-garner The issue in this case is whether a police officer who deployed a taser to stop a fleeing person on top of an eight-foot wall is entitled to qualified…
20-1668 City of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, et al. v. Austin P. Bond, as Special Administrator of the Estate of Dominic F. Rollice, Deceased Tenth Circuit 2021-06-01 Judgment Issued Amici (6)Relisted (4) deadly-force fourth-amendment intoxicated-individual officer-safety police-conduct qualified-immunity seizure use-of-force 1. Whether use of force that is reasonable at the moment it is employed can nonetheless violate the Fourth Amendment if the officers recklessly or del…
20-1362 Davdrin Goffin v. Robbie K. Ashcraft, et al. Eighth Circuit 2021-03-30 Denied Amici (1)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) civil-rights deadly-force excessive-force fourth-amendment police-shooting probable-cause qualified-immunity search-and-seizure tennessee-v-garner use-of-force Is an officer entitled to qualified immunity if she shoots a fleeing suspect in the back without warning after watching another officer search the sus…
20-997 Arlane James, et al. v. Noah Bartelt Third Circuit 2021-01-26 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (5) civil-procedure civil-rights deadly-force johnson-v-jones law-enforcement officer-involved-shooting qualified-immunity self-defense summary-judgment third-circuit use-of-force 1. Whether the Third Circuit's decision to exercise jurisdiction over an appeal of the District Court's denial of qualified immunity on a motion for s…
20-840 Kenneth Knowles v. Officer Jason Michael Hart Eleventh Circuit 2020-12-22 Denied 2nd-amendment 4th-amendment civil-rights deadly-force due-process fourth-amendment police-entry second-amendment self-defense standing use-of-force 1. Does the Fourth Amendment authorize a police officer to use deadly force against a citizen exercising her Second Amendment right to wear a holstere…
20-6573 Ellis Keyes v. Matt Wilson, et al. Eleventh Circuit 2020-12-09 Denied IFP 11th-circuit civil-rights deadly-force due-process judicial-intervention municipal-liability order-to-show-cause police-restraint police-use-of-force qualified-immunity standing Continuing prosecution I ask the court grant motion for order to show cause why defendant police should not be restrained from deadly force?
20-585 Greg Vasquez, et al. v. Maritza Amador, Individually and as Representative of the Estate of Gilbert Flores and as Next Friend of Minor R. M. F., et al. Fifth Circuit 2020-11-03 Denied Amici (1)Response RequestedRelisted (2) civil-rights deadly-force fourth-amendment law-enforcement police-intervention police-use-of-force qualified-immunity reasonableness-standard suicide-by-cop use-of-force 1. Viewing the facts from the officers' perspective at the time of the incident, did they act reasonably, under the Fourth Amendment, when an officer …
20-578 Sergeant Gary Hedger, et al. v. Ronald Graves Sixth Circuit 2020-11-02 Denied Response RequestedRelisted (7) deadly-force fourth-amendment homicidal-suspect law-enforcement perceived-threat qualified-immunity taser-deployment use-of-force violent-suspect Did the Sixth Circuit misapply or disregard this Court's precedent by holding that a law enforcement officer violates the Fourth Amendment and clearly…
20-498 Sonia Garcia, et vir v. Wesley Blevins, et al. Fifth Circuit 2020-10-16 Denied Response Waived 4th-amendment civil-rights clearly-established-law constitutional-rights deadly-force fourth-amendment qualified-immunity stare-decisis unpublished-decisions unpublished-opinions 1. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted qualified immunity reasoning facts demonstrating that a person shot and killed by …
19-1067 Neal N. Browder, et al. v. S. R. Nehad, et al. Ninth Circuit 2020-02-28 Denied Amici (1)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) civil-rights deadly-force due-process emergency-response fourth-amendment law-enforcement police-conduct police-shooting qualified-immunity use-of-force Shortly before midnight on April 29, 2015, a bookstore clerk saw Fridoon Rawshan Nehad in an alley. Nehad, who was incoherent, pulled a knife out of h…
19-753 Michael Hunter, et al. v. Randy Cole, et al. Fifth Circuit 2019-12-12 Denied Amici (1)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (7) civil-rights clearly-established-law deadly-force deadly-weapon due-process dynamic-encounter excessive-force fourteenth-amendment fourth-amendment police-use-of-force qualified-immunity shooting-encounter use-of-force I. If the barrel of a gun is not yet pointed directly at an officer, does clearly established federal law prohibit police officers from firing to stop…
19-6621 Jaquan Walters v. United States Second Circuit 2019-11-13 Denied Response WaivedIFP 9th-circuit criminal-law deadly-force due-process federal-common-law imperfect-self-defense manslaughter murder murder-mitigation self-defense unreasonable-belief voluntary-manslaughter Does "imperfect self-defense," which mitigates murder to voluntary manslaughter where the defendant "intend[ed] to use deadly force in the unreasonabl…
19-222 Paul Anthony Valderas v. City of Lubbock, Texas, et al. Fifth Circuit 2019-08-20 Denied 4th-amendment civil-rights constitutional-rights deadly-force due-process excessive-force fourth-amendment law-enforcement police-conduct police-use-of-force qualified-immunity reasonable-force reasonable-inference use-of-force Whether an officer on the scene constrained by what he observes to use any force creates a reasonable inference that deadly force is excessive?
18-1128 Curtis Minchuk v. Craig Strand Seventh Circuit 2019-02-28 Denied Response Waived circuit-split deadly-force deadly-force-justification excessive-force fourth-amendment police-use-of-force qualified-immunity self-defense totality-of-the-circumstances use-of-force 1. Whether evidence of a dangerous and violent suspect's sudden and unexpected gesture of surrender immediately and objectively terminates the deadly …
18-825 Peggy Shumpert, Individually and as Administrator of the Estate of Antwun Shumpert, Sr., et al. v. City of Tupelo, Mississippi, et al. Fifth Circuit 2019-01-02 Denied Response Waived canine-force civil-procedure civil-rights constitutional-rights deadly-force due-process federal-appeals-conflict police-misconduct qualified-immunity state-created-danger use-of-force whether-the-court-of-appeals-erred-in-concluding-t whether-the-court-of-appeals-erred-in-finding-that I. Whether the Court of Appeals erred in finding that the state-created danger doctrine is not clearly established law and in failing to apply it, whe…