Cop Immune From Suit for Shooting Man Who Ran From Traffic Stop

A Galveston, Texas, police officer who shot and killed a man who fled from a traffic stop is entitled to qualified immunity, because the victim clutched his arm to his side as he ran, creating a reasonable fear that he was concealing a gun, a federal appeals court ruled, reversing the lower court’s holding.

Luis Argueta’s parents and siblings filed a wrongful death lawsuit, alleging excessive force, on behalf of themselves and Argueta’s estate, against Office Derrick Jaradi. Jaradi moved for summary judgment, arguing Argueta couldn’t overcome qualified immunity. The lower court denied Jaradi’s motion and he filed an interlocutory ...