rochelle brosseau kenneth haugen argued decided december per curiam officer rochelle brosseau member puyallup washington police department shot kenneth haugen back attempted flee law enforcement authorities vehicle haugen subsequently filed action district western district washington pursuant rev stat alleged shot fired brosseau constituted excessive force violated federal constitutional district granted summary judgment brosseau finding entitled qualified immunity appeals ninth circuit reversed following process set saucier katz appeals found first brosseau violated haugen fourth amendment right free excessive force second right violated clearly established thus brosseau entitled qualified immunity brosseau petitioned writ certiorari requesting review appeals determinations grant petition second qualified immunity question reverse material facts construed light favorable haugen day fracas glen tamburello went police station reported brosseau haugen former crime partner stolen tools shop brosseau later learned felony warrant haugen arrest drug offenses next morning haugen jeep cherokee mother driveway tamburello learned haugen whereabouts cohort matt atwood drove pickup truck haugen mother house pay haugen visit fight ensued witnessed neighbor called brosseau heard report men fighting haugen mother yard responded arrived tamburello atwood attempting get haugen tamburello pickup brosseau arrival created distraction provided haugen opportunity get away haugen ran mother yard hid neighborhood brosseau requested assistance shortly thereafter two officers arrived help track haugen search lasted minutes officers instructed tamburello atwood remain tamburello pickup instructed deanna nocera haugen girlfriend also present daughter remain small car daughter tamburello pickup parked street front driveway nocera small car parked driveway front facing jeep jeep driveway facing nocera car angled somewhat left jeep parked feet away nocera car feet away tamburello pickup officer radioed street neighbor seen man backyard brosseau ran direction haugen appeared ran past front mother house turned ran driveway brosseau still pursuit jumped driver side jeep closed locked door brosseau believed running jeep retrieve weapon brosseau arrived jeep pointed gun haugen ordered get vehicle haugen ignored command continued look keys get jeep started brosseau repeated commands hit driver side window several times handgun failed deter haugen third fourth try window shattered brosseau unsuccessfully attempted grab keys struck haugen head barrel butt gun haugen still undeterred succeeded starting jeep jeep started shortly began move brosseau jumped back left fired one shot rear driver side window forward angle hitting haugen back later explained shot haugen officers foot believed immediate area occupied vehicles haugen path citizens might area despite hit haugen words ood navigated tight avoid vehicles swerved across neighbor lawn continued street half block haugen realized shot brought jeep halt suffered collapsed lung airlifted hospital survived shooting subsequently pleaded guilty felony eluding rev code pleading admitted drove jeep manner indicating wanton wilful disregard lives others ibid subsequently brought action brosseau confronted claim qualified immunity must ask first following question taken light favorable party asserting injury facts alleged show officer conduct violated constitutional right saucier katz graham connor cases establish claims excessive force judged fourth amendment standard specifically regard deadly force explained garner unreasonable officer seize unarmed nondangerous suspect shooting dead officer probable cause believe suspect poses threat serious physical harm either officer others constitutionally unreasonable prevent escape using deadly force ibid express view correctness appeals decision constitutional question believe however question decided appeals wrong issue qualified qualified immunity shields officer suit makes decision even constitutionally deficient reasonably misapprehends law governing circumstances confronted saucier katz qualified immunity operates protect officers sometimes border excessive acceptable focus whether officer fair notice conduct unlawful reasonableness judged backdrop law time conduct law time clearly establish officer conduct violate constitution officer subject liability indeed even burdens litigation important emphasize inquiry must undertaken light specific context case broad general proposition previously said context doubt graham connor supra clearly establishes general proposition use force contrary fourth amendment excessive objective standards reasonableness yet enough rather emphasized anderson creighton right official alleged violated must clearly established particularized hence relevant sense contours right must sufficiently clear reasonable official understand violates right relevant dispositive inquiry determining whether right clearly established whether clear reasonable officer conduct unlawful situation confronted appeals acknowledged statement law proceeded find fair warning general tests set graham garner mistaken graham garner following lead fourth amendment text cast high level generality see graham connor supra test reasonableness fourth amendment capable precise definition mechanical course obvious case standards clearly establish answer even without body relevant case law see hope pelzer noting case eighth amendment violation obvious need materially similar case right clearly established see also pace capobianco explaining fourth amendment case involving officer shooting fleeing suspect vehicle look decisions garner graham see tests guide us determining law many different kinds circumstances see kind clear law clear answers apply situation hand present case far obvious one graham garner alone offer basis decision therefore turn ask whether time brosseau actions clearly established sense violating haugen fourth amendment right saucier katz parties point us handful cases relevant situation brosseau confronted whether shoot disturbed felon set avoiding capture vehicular flight persons immediate area risk ibid specifically brosseau points us cole bone smith freland cases courts found fourth amendment violation officer shot fleeing suspect presented risk others cole bone supra holding officer probable cause believe truck posed imminent threat serious physical harm innocent motorists well officers smith freland noting car deadly weapon holding officer decision stop car possibly injuring others reasonable smith closer case officer suspect engaged car chase appeared end officer cornered suspect back residential street suspect however freed car began speeding street point officer fired shot killed suspect held officer decision reasonable thus violate fourth amendment noted suspect like haugen proven almost anything avoid capture posed major threat among others officers end street ibid haugen points us estate starks enyart found summary judgment inappropriate fourth amendment claim involving fleeing suspect concluded threat created fleeing suspect failure brake officer suddenly stepped front car sufficiently grave threat justify use deadly force three cases taken together undoubtedly show area one result depends much facts case none squarely governs case suggest brosseau actions fell border excessive acceptable force saucier katz supra cases means clearly establish brosseau conduct violated fourth amendment judgment appeals ninth circuit therefore reversed case remanded proceedings consistent opinion ordered rochelle brosseau kenneth haugen petition writ certiorari appeals ninth circuit december justice breyer justice scalia justice ginsburg join concurring join opinion write separately express concern matter refers namely way lower courts required evaluate claims qualified immunity decision saucier katz notes ante slip saucier requires lower courts decide constitutional question prior deciding qualified immunity question concerned current rule rigidly requires courts unnecessarily decide difficult constitutional questions available easier basis decision qualified immunity satisfactorily resolve case indeed courts dockets crowded rigid order battle makes little administrative sense sometimes lead constitutional decision effectively insulated review see bunting mellen scalia dissenting denial certiorari reasons think reconsider issue rochelle brosseau kenneth haugen petition writ certiorari appeals ninth circuit december justice stevens dissenting judgment answer constitutional question presented case clear fourth amendment objectively unreasonable officer brosseau use deadly force kenneth haugen attempt prevent escape clear whether brosseau nonetheless entitled qualified immunity might apparent reasonably well trained officer brosseau shoes killing haugen prevent escape unconstitutional opinion question answered jury law enforcement officers never subject damages liability failing anticipate novel developments constitutional law accordingly whenever suit officer based alleged violation constitutional right clearly established qualified immunity defense available harlow fitzgerald prompt dismissal actions protects officers unnecessary litigation accords wise policy avoiding unnecessary adjudication constitutional questions county sacramento lewis stevens concurring judgment however applicable constitutional rule well settled address constitutional question outset ibid see also siegert gilley constitutional limits use deadly force clearly established almost two decades held killing unarmed burglar prevent escape unconstitutional seizure tennessee garner considered rejected state contention fourth amendment prohibition unreasonable seizures construed light rule allowed use whatever force necessary effectuate arrest fleeing felon recognized rule fashioned virtually felonies punishable death long guns available police noted modern police departments majority large cities allowed firing weapon felon presented threat death serious bodily harm concluded changes legal technological context made old rule obsolete unlike excessive force cases degree permissible force varies widely case case issue deadly force case whether facts apparent officer justify decision kill suspect order prevent escape garner stated governing rule use deadly force prevent escape felony suspects whatever circumstances constitutionally unreasonable better felony suspects die escape suspect poses immediate threat officer threat others harm resulting failure apprehend justify use deadly force police officer may seize unarmed nondangerous suspect shooting dead officer probable cause believe suspect poses threat serious physical harm either officer others constitutionally unreasonable prevent escape using deadly force thus suspect threatens officer weapon probable cause believe committed crime involving infliction threatened infliction serious physical harm deadly force may used necessary prevent escape feasible warning given common justifications use deadly force plainly inapplicable case respondent haugen threatened anyone weapon petitioner brosseau shoot order defend haugen person committed violent crime reason believe permitted escape indeed nothing record suggest intended harm threat serious physical harm either officer others provides sole justification brosseau use deadly force risk fleeing vehicle haugen accidentally collide pedestrian another vehicle whether brosseau shot enhanced minimized risk debatable risk accident surely justify attempt kill thus difficulty endorsing assumption brosseau conduct violated constitution ii officer entitled qualified immunity despite engaged constitutionally deficient conduct violate clearly established statutory constitutional rights reasonable person known harlow accordingly recognized general statements law inherently incapable giving fair clear warning lanier firmly rejected notion official action protected qualified immunity unless action question previously held unlawful anderson creighton thus search relevant case law applying garner standard materially similar facts unnecessary see hope although earlier cases involving similar facts provide especially strong support conclusion law clearly established necessary finding see also lanier indeed cases majority relies inapposite fact serve illuminate patent unreasonableness brosseau rather uncertainty law uncertainty likely consequences haugen flight precisely uncertainty reasonable officer making decision use deadly force assessed foreseeability serious accident prevents answering question qualified immunity case presents quintessentially question question judges try answer matter law cf anderson per curiam scalia concurring judgment stevens dissenting quoting bryant treasury secret service whether reasonable officer believed probable cause question trier fact summary judgment directed verdict action based lack probable cause proper one reasonable conclusion jury reach bizarre scenario described record case convinces reasonable jurors well disagree answer qualified immunity issue conclusion strongly reinforced differing opinions expressed circuit judges reviewed record iii attempt justify decision reverse appeals without giving parties opportunity provide full briefing oral argument woefully unpersuasive brosseau deliberately shot haugen head killed legal issues resulting nonfatal wound seriously doubt colleagues confident result decide case without benefit briefs argument minimum ninth circuit decision clearly erroneous extraordinary remedy summary reversal warranted facts see stern gressman shapiro practice ed sum constitutional limits officer use deadly force well settled jurisprudence nearly two decades case officer brosseau acted outside clearly delineated bounds nonetheless judgment genuine factual question whether reasonably officer standing brosseau shoes concluded otherwise question plainly falls purview jury reasons respectfully dissent footnotes haugen also asserted pendent claims claims city police department claims presently us case arises posture motion summary judgment required view facts draw reasonable inferences favor nonmoving party haugen see saucier katz occasion case reconsider instruction saucier katz lower courts decide constitutional question prior deciding qualified immunity question exercise summary reversal procedure simply correct clear misapprehension qualified immunity standard parties point us number cases vein postdate conduct question brosseau february shooting haugen see cowan ex rel estate cooper breen pace capobianco scott clay county tennessee mccaslin wilkins abraham raso decisions course given fair notice brosseau use clearly established inquiry footnotes although brosseau attested believed haugen may attempting retrieve weapon floorboard vehicle sometime struggle fact haugen hotly contests evidence record suggest time shot fired brosseau believed reasonable officer thought haugen access weapon moment time shooting brosseau following facts disposal haugen felony warrant nonviolent drug offense suspected nonviolent burglary fleeing law enforcement foot approximately minutes without incident behest brosseau private individuals scene inside respective vehicles haugen girlfriend daughter small car approximately four feet front slightly right haugen jeep glen tamburello matt atwood inside pickup truck street blocking driveway approximately feet haugen jeep two police officers foot scene last seen neighbor backyard two houses right driveway evidence supporting haugen allegation brosseau willfully fire weapon intent murder record doc includes statement defense expert brosseau clearly articulated intention use deadly force doc moreover report puyallup washington police department firearms review board stated brosseau chose use deadly force stop haugen doc exh cole bone sped tollbooth engaged police pursuit excess miles per hour interstate holiday season course pursuit driver passed traffic shoulders interstate repeatedly attempted ram several police cars drove passenger vehicles road ran several roadblocks continued driving officer shot wheels fugitive truck officer finally resort deadly force disable driver similarly smith freland suspect led police officer chase reaching speeds excess miles per hour officer initially cornered suspect field driver repeatedly swerved directly toward police car forcing officer move way allowing suspect continue chase additional officers cornered suspect second time suspect smashed directly unoccupied police car began flee officer finally shoot driver ibid stark contrast time brosseau shot haugen jeep immobile best started moving haugen driven excess speeds rammed attempted ram nearby police cars passenger vehicles sum ongoing prior car chase inform probable cause analysis recitation facts led shooting obscures undisputed point one contends haugen kind dangerous person perhaps terrorist escaped convict crime spree danger community allowed escape factual issues relate danger posed act escaping