Torresv.Sheriff Howell
CourtUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Docket No.20-14646
Decided2022-05-25
ReporterNo. 20-14646 (11th Cir. 2022)
JudgesUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Tags
Eleventh CircuitSection 1983Excessive ForceDeadly ForceQualified ImmunityFourth AmendmentPolice Shooting
Case Summary
The parents of Peter Torres sued after a sheriff’s deputy fatally shot their son during a rapidly unfolding domestic-disturbance response. Body-camera footage showed Torres ignore commands, throw an object, charge the armed deputy, and close to within a few feet as the deputy retreated. The Eleventh Circuit held that deadly force was objectively reasonable because the deputy confronted an imminent threat of serious bodily harm and had only seconds to react. In any event, no clearly established precedent made the response unlawful under materially similar circumstances. The court affirmed summary judgment for the deputy on qualified-immunity grounds.
Opinion
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