Ramirez v. Escajeda, No. 21-50858 (5th Cir. 2022)
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Defendant, El Paso found Plaintiff’s son in the process of hanging himself from a basketball hoop. But it was dark, Defendant was afraid the man might have a weapon, and the man did not respond to Defendant’s orders to show his hands. So Defendant tased the man once, took down his body, and performed CPR. To no avail. The man soon after died in the emergency room from the hanging. His parents sued Defendant for using excessive force, the district court denied qualified immunity, and Defendant appealed.
The Fifth Circuit reversed the district court’s decision and rendered judgment granting Defendant qualified immunity. The court explained that the district court and Plaintiffs rely on cases holding that officers may not use force against arrestees who are already subdued and in police custody. This case is markedly different. The reason Defendant tased the man was that he was not in custody and Defendant was afraid he might have a weapon. Even if that fear turned out to be groundless—something the court wrote it cannot decide here—Defendant still did not transgress any clearly established law.
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