Woman Pepper-Sprayed During Police Traffic Stop Fails on Appeal

A police officer who pepper-sprayed a woman who repeatedly failed to comply with orders during a traffic stop was entitled to qualified immunity in the woman’s suit, the Fourth Circuit affirmed on Wednesday.

The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit said there was no clearly established legal precedent or rule that would have informed a reasonable officer that Justun Patrick’s use of pepper spray was excessive force. The court also said a sheriff’s appeal over an injunction ordering the destruction of arrest photos after Abrar Omeish had been forced to remove her hijab was moot, and vacated an ...