Supreme Court revives excessive force claim over deadly Houston police shooting

The Supreme Court rules on whether the mother of a Black man killed following a routine traffic stop in Houston can pursue an excessive force claim against the police officer who shot him.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the mother of a Black man killed following a routine traffic stop in Houston to pursue an excessive force claim against the police officer who shot him.

The justices faulted a lower court for focusing solely on the moment force was used and not the moments leading up to it.

"Today we reject that approach," Justice Elena Kagan wrote for a unanimous court. "To assess whether an officer acted reasonably in using force, a court must consider all the relevant circumstances, including facts and events leading up to the climactic moment."

Ashtian Barnes, 24, was killed in April 2016 when the vehicle he was driving started moving forward while he was speaking to the officer.

Roberto Felix Jr., a traffic enforcement officer with the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office, jumped on the car door sill when the vehicle moved and then shot Barnes twice. Barnes died at the scene.