Barnes v. Felix: Defining Limits on Police Force

On today’s episode of Tiers of Scrutiny, Pari and I discuss Barnes v. Felix, a case concerning the “moment of threat doctrine”--a legal principle limiting review of police officers’ use of force to only the “moment of threat” in which they perceived a threat. Opponents of the doctrine call for an evaluation of “totality of circumstances”--arguing that courts must review any and all actions leading up to the moment of threat. Barnes v. Felix is named for Ashtian Barnes, a Black man who was shot and killed by a law enforcement officer during a traffic stop in 2016. Listed below are relevant resources: https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/barnes-v-felix/https://www.theusconstitution.org/litigation/barnes-v-felix/https://www.forcescience.com/2024/10/officer-created-jeopardy-a-legal-theory-that-threatens-effective-policing-will-the-supreme-court-restore-limits/https://abc13.com/post/us-supreme-court-reviewing-2016-case-where-pct-5-deputy-constable-roberto-felix-fatally-shot-ashtian-barnes-during-traffic-stop/15409623/https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-1239/331758/20241113164932983_Barnes%20Merits%20Brief%2011-13-24%20Final.pdfhttps://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/471/1/https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23-1239/335125/20241213165012756_Felix%20Respondents%20Brief.pdf