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 Whether police officers' own creation of a dangerous situation prior to using deadly force factors into the Fourth Amendment's 'totality of the circum…
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 Whether the Second and Fourth Amendments to the United States Constitution forbid police from using deadly force against a suspect exclusively for hol…
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 Whether an appellate court can dismiss a qualified immunity appeal for lack of jurisdiction when video evidence and factual allegations suggest the of…
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 Did the Ninth Circuit err in defining the qualified immunity right at issue too broadly by holding this was an 'obvious' case?
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 Whether the Fourth Amendment permits an officer to use deadly force against an individual merely possessing a firearm without considering the totality…
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 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, and whet…
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 Whether a fact question on the 'deadliness' of force can impose a heightened deadly force standard that constrains the Fourth Amendment's objective te…
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 Whether it is clearly established under the Fourth Amendment that a law enforcement officer may not use deadly force against an unarmed, fleeing perso…
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 Whether Scott v. Harris permits courts to resolve qualified immunity at the pleading stage based on objective video evidence that demonstrates the imp…
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 improperly applied a reasonable jury standard instead of a reasonable officer standard in a qualified immunity…
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 Did the appeals court improperly create new summary judgment standards and establish a circuit split regarding the use of deadly force?
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 Whether the Third Circuit improperly defined the factual context and eliminated the significant threat requirement in a deadly force case involving po…
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 Whether a law enforcement officer can assert qualified immunity when using deadly force against an unarmed suspect who does not pose an immediate thre…
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 Question not identified
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 Whether the Fourth Amendment permits police to shoot a fleeing suspect who might be holding a gun but exhibits no other signs of dangerousness
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 Whether the Fifth Circuit's narrow standard for evaluating the reasonableness of an officer's use of deadly force under the Fourth Amendment impermiss…
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
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 Whether the reasonableness of an officer's use of deadly force should be evaluated solely upon the circumstances of the final moment or upon the 'tota…
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 Whether the petitioner's constitutional rights to a fair trial, due process, and assistance of counsel were violated
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 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 rais…
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
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 Whether a jury should be instructed on the core principle that a law enforcement officer's use of deadly force in self-defense is not constitutionally…
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 Did the Ninth Circuit's panel decision denying qualified immunity contravene this Court's mandate that courts should not hold officers to a standard o…
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 Whether the Fourth Circuit erred in finding that a reasonable officer in Deputy Momphard's position would not have perceived a danger that justified l…
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 When the unconstitutionality of an officer's conduct is obvious, must the court, in addressing the 'clearly established law' prong of a qualified immu…
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
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 Does the Fourth Amendment allow police to use deadly force to prevent the escape of a joyriding motorcyclist?
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 right to self…
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 Whether a police officer is entitled to qualified immunity for deploying a taser to stop a fleeing person on top of an eight-foot wall
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 Whether use-of-force that is reasonable can nonetheless violate the Fourth-Amendment
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 for shooting an unarmed fleeing suspect?
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 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 summ…
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 Does the Fourth Amendment authorize the use of deadly force against a citizen exercising her Second Amendment right to wear a holstered, licensed hand…
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 Whether the 11th Circuit erred in denying the motion for order to show cause why defendant police should not be restrained from using 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 Reasonableness-of-force-under-4th-Amendment
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 Whether a person holding a gun has a Fourth Amendment right to be free from deadly force
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 Did the Ninth Circuit err in denying qualified immunity to a police officer who responded to a midnight emergency call about a suspect threatening oth…
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 Whether police officers can use deadly force when a person armed with a firearm moves the weapon toward the officer, even if the officer has not shout…
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' exist as a partial defense to murder at federal common law?
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 Whether evidence of a dangerous and violent suspect's sudden and unexpected gesture of surrender immediately and objectively terminates the deadly thr…
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 Whether the state-created danger doctrine is clearly established law