Federal Judge Shields Officer In Shooting of Black Man Breaking Up Bar Fight Citing Use-of-force Reasonableness

In the early hours of May 21, 2017, a bar brawl erupted at Jack’s Apple Pub in Wisconsin, involving two men, Leander Moffitt and Henry Nellum. Amidst the chaos, Jimmie Sanders, a 33-year-old Black man, intervened in an attempt to mediate. Tragically, as tensions escalated, a gun was drawn, leading to a shot being fired, causing bar patrons to flee and alerting Appleton Police Lt. Jay Steinke, who was patrolling nearby.Steinke entered the establishment, his firearm drawn, and discharged four rounds. One of these bullets struck Sanders fatally in the back. Recently, a federal judge dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Sanders’ mother, claiming violation of Fourth Amendment rights. Judge Pamela Pepper noted that without "clearly established" rights protecting bystanders, Steinke was granted qualified immunity. Despite claims from Sanders’ attorney of negligence, the court concluded the officer’s actions were justified under the circumstances, as Sanders was not the intended target.