Which case addressed the fleeing felon doctrine for use of force?

Which case addressed the fleeing felon doctrine for use of force?

• A. Tennessee v Garner
• B. Armstrong v Pinehurst
• C. Graham v Connor
• D. Johnson v Glick

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is how the use of deadly force is limited when stopping a fleeing suspect. Tennessee v. Garner established that police cannot use deadly force to prevent the escape of a felon solely because the person is fleeing. Deadly force may be used only if there is probable cause to believe the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious bodily harm to the officer or to others. This turns the decision into a Fourth Amendment reasonableness question measured by the total circumstances, rather than allowing lethal force simply to stop an escape. That makes this case the best answer because it directly addresses the fleeing felon doctrine and sets the standard for when deadly force is permissible. The other cases address different situations: Graham v. Connor focuses on the general reasonableness of force used in confrontations, not the fleeing felon rule; Johnson v. Glick involves use of force in detention settings; Armstrong v. Pinehurst relates to a different aspect of force or context.

The key idea here is how the use of deadly force is limited when stopping a fleeing suspect. Tennessee v. Garner established that police cannot use deadly force to prevent the escape of a felon solely because the person is fleeing. Deadly force may be used only if there is probable cause to believe the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious bodily harm to the officer or to others. This turns the decision into a Fourth Amendment reasonableness question measured by the total circumstances, rather than allowing lethal force simply to stop an escape.

That makes this case the best answer because it directly addresses the fleeing felon doctrine and sets the standard for when deadly force is permissible. The other cases address different situations: Graham v. Connor focuses on the general reasonableness of force used in confrontations, not the fleeing felon rule; Johnson v. Glick involves use of force in detention settings; Armstrong v. Pinehurst relates to a different aspect of force or context.