Which case is associated with applying the dangerous suspect standard to deadly force?

Which case is associated with applying the dangerous suspect standard to deadly force?

• A. Tennessee v. Garner
• B. Graham v. Connor
• C. Plumhoff v. Rickard
• D. Scott v. Harris

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that deadly force to stop a fleeing suspect is limited by a danger threshold—the officer can use such force only if there is probable cause to believe the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others. Tennessee v. Garner established this rule, ruling that the Fourth Amendment bars the use of deadly force to apprehend an unarmed or nonthreatening fleeing suspect simply to prevent escape. It introduced the “dangerous suspect” standard in practice: force is justified only when there is a real threat, not just the flight itself. Graham v. Connor talks about judging any use of force under the objective reasonableness standard, which is the lens for evaluating whether the overall action was reasonable, but it doesn't define the dangers threshold for deadly force against a fleeing suspect. Plumhoff v. Rickard and Scott v. Harris deal with high-speed vehicle pursuits and apply Garner’s standard to those specific situations, showing how the rule is used in context, rather than establishing the core rule itself.

The key idea is that deadly force to stop a fleeing suspect is limited by a danger threshold—the officer can use such force only if there is probable cause to believe the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others. Tennessee v. Garner established this rule, ruling that the Fourth Amendment bars the use of deadly force to apprehend an unarmed or nonthreatening fleeing suspect simply to prevent escape. It introduced the “dangerous suspect” standard in practice: force is justified only when there is a real threat, not just the flight itself.

Graham v. Connor talks about judging any use of force under the objective reasonableness standard, which is the lens for evaluating whether the overall action was reasonable, but it doesn't define the dangers threshold for deadly force against a fleeing suspect. Plumhoff v. Rickard and Scott v. Harris deal with high-speed vehicle pursuits and apply Garner’s standard to those specific situations, showing how the rule is used in context, rather than establishing the core rule itself.