Supreme Court Supports Lawsuit Over Fatal Traffic Stop Involving Black Man and Police Officer

An excessive force lawsuit initiated by the mother of a Black man fatally shot by police during a Houston traffic stop is set to proceed, as affirmed by the Supreme Court. On May 15, justices unanimously allowed the case of Ashtian Barnes, who was killed by an officer in April 2016, to advance, as reported by NBC News. This ruling upholds the longstanding notion that the "totality of circumstances" must guide evaluations in use-of-force incidents. Justices dismissed a lower court's interpretation that relied solely on the moment force was applied. “Today we reject that approach,” Justice Elena Kagan stated. Barnes was shot by traffic officer Roberto Felix Jr. while communicating with him. His mother, Janice Hughes, claims Felix violated the Fourth Amendment by employing excessive force.