The Supreme Court is considering reviving a lawsuit against a Texas officer who shot a motorist during a traffic stop over unpaid tolls
Officer Roberto Felix Jr. jumped onto Barnes’ car as it started to move and shot him twice in just two seconds. Felix claimed he was scared for his life, but that’s what’s being debated now.
Lower courts had tossed out the lawsuit filed by Barnes’ mom, Janice Hughes, but the Supreme Court might change that. They’re discussing whether the courts should have looked at the whole situation, not just the moment Felix felt threatened.
Hughes’ lawyer argued that if you consider everything, it seems unreasonable for Felix to jump on the car like that. The justices seem to agree that the current standard might not be enough.
Justice Kavanaugh raised concerns that a ruling in favor of Hughes could make things riskier for police during traffic stops, where decisions have to be made quickly.
Barnes was just on his way to pick up his girlfriend’s daughter when he got pulled over. He had no idea the rental car had unpaid tolls, which is why he was stopped in the first place.
One judge even expressed sadness that a simple traffic stop led to the death of an unarmed Black man. The Supreme Court’s decision could set a new standard for similar cases, but it might not help Hughes much in the end.
Even if they find that Felix messed up, he might still avoid financial responsibility due to something called qualified immunity. We should hear their decision by early summer.
