Overview

• The Supreme Court unanimously rejected the Fifth Circuit's 'moment-of-threat' test, which narrowly focused on the seconds before police use of force.
• The ruling requires courts to evaluate the 'totality of the circumstances,' including events leading up to an officer's use of deadly force.
• The decision revives a lawsuit filed by Janice Hughes Barnes, whose son Ashtian Barnes was fatally shot by Officer Roberto Felix during a 2016 traffic stop near Houston.
• The case has been sent back to the Fifth Circuit for reconsideration under the broader legal standard, but the Supreme Court did not rule on whether the shooting itself was justified.
• The ruling is expected to impact excessive force claims nationwide by broadening the scope of evidence courts must consider in such cases.