Police use of force
Green v. Perkins
In brief
- Where it stands
- Dismissed
Petition denied.
- What it’s about
- Green challenges the Sixth Circuit’s decision giving two Adair County deputies legal protection from his suit (qualified immunity) after they tased him.
- Who it affects
- The Sixth Circuit decision remains in place in Green's case, but the Supreme Court did not endorse it or resolve the question about the use of force.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
He says he was soaked in gasoline, had no lighter, and stood still with his hands raised; he argues the court relied on information from before the deputies arrived instead of assessing the threat when it used force.
Green says he was soaked in gasoline, had no lighter, and stood still with his hands raised when the deputies tased him.
Green's challenge asked whether courts must assess the danger when deputies use force, rather than rely only on information from before they arrived.
Question presented
Whether Graham v. Connor and Barnes v. Felix permit a court of appeals to grant qualified immunity for tasing a gasoline-soaked man, conceding he had no lighter and observing him stationary with his hands raised, by reasoning entirely from pre-arrival information without ever examining what threat existed at the moment force was deployed.
Documents
Docket activity
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AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
AI analysis generated: Decision Record
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Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.