The Supreme Court on Thursday sided with a New Mexico woman who was shot by police when she tried to flee in her vehicle. In a 5-3 ruling (pdf), the high court wrote that the woman was “seized” under the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment, although the shooting did not result in police immediately detaining her. The case arose from a 2014 incident where Roxanne Torres was approached by officers who were attempting to serve a warrant to a different person and when they tried to speak to Torres, she drove away. The officers fired 13 shots at the woman, saying they feared for their safety as she was driving in her vehicle. Two of the shots hit Torres, although she didn’t stop and kept driving for 75 miles. Torres later sued for excessive force. “Under our cases, an officer seizes a person when he uses force to apprehend her,” Chief Justice John …
Supreme Court Sides With Woman Shot by Police Who Tried to Flee the Scene
March 25, 2021
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