Supreme Court of California

In a suit arising out of the shooting death of a suicidal person who was threatening sheriff's deputies with a knife, the response to the Ninth Circuit's certified question on an issue of California negligence law is: Law enforcement personnel's tactical conduct and decisions preceding the use of deadly force are relevant considerations under California law in determining whether the use of deadly force gives rise to negligence liability, and such liability can arise, for example, if the tactical conduct and decisions show, as part of the totality of circumstances, that the use of deadly force was unreasonable.

Appellate Information

• Decided 08/19/2013
• Published 08/19/2013

Judges

• KENNARD

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel