Use of Force

Scott v. Harris is the Supreme Court's major police-pursuit force case. It explains when force used to end a dangerous high-speed chase can be reasonable under the Fourth Amendment.

Plumhoff v. Rickard held that officers did not violate the Fourth Amendment when they used deadly force to stop a person fleeing police in a high-speed chase that endangered the public. The Court also held the officers were protected by qualified immunity in any event.

Graham v. Connor established that police excessive-force claims during arrests, stops, or seizures are governed by Fourth Amendment objective reasonableness. The rule focuses on the facts confronting officers at the scene, including severity of the suspected offense, immediate safety threats, and resistance or flight, while avoiding hindsight and subjective-intent tests.

In County of Los Angeles v. Mendez, the Supreme Court rejected the Ninth Circuit's provocation rule. The Court held that a prior Fourth Amendment violation does not automatically convert a later reasonable use of force into unconstitutional excessive force, though the prior violation may still support damages under proximate-cause principles.

Tennessee v. Garner sets the constitutional standard for deadly force against fleeing suspects.