Supreme Court rejects Michigan cop's bid to toss out an excessive force claim from a George Floyd protest

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a Michigan police officer’s attempt to evade an excessive force claim arising from an incident that took place during a protest in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a Michigan police officer’s attempt to evade an excessive force claim arising from an incident that took place during a protest in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing.

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The court turned away an appeal brought by Phillip Reinink, a police officer in Grand Rapids, who deployed tear gas during a May 30, 2020, disturbance just days after Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis.

Reinink says he thought his launcher was loaded with a form of tear gas powder that can be fired directly at someone, but it was instead a canister designed to be fired into the air. The canister hit Sean Hart and injured his shoulder.