Fear of Lawsuits Drives Cops to Risk Death

Posted on November 22, 2006

Notwithstanding anomalies like the 92 year-old woman shot to death by undercover officers yesterday, the eagerness of some groups to sue police for any use of force, no matter how justified, has created a deeprooted fear of being sued among officers.

From Insight:

U.S. law enforcement agencies are struggling with the threat of lawsuits regarding the conduct of officers.

Officials said the threat has become so acute that many officers would rather die than be sued. They said this has seriously hurt law enforcement and endangered the lives of officers.

It’s not just rhetoric; the article includes several examples:

He presented videos of a plainclothes officer slashed by a knife-wielding suspect during a struggle. The officer gave his pistol to his colleague when trying to subdue the suspect. Mr. Chudwin said the officer, slashed in the face and neck, was afraid his gun would discharge during the struggle.

The public pays a heavy price to keep outfits like the ACLU in business, as well:

In another example, an officer responds to a call regarding a man seen in a supermarket with a gun. Mr. Chudwin said the officer refused to leave her patrol car even as the gunman forced a bystander to the ground. The bystander was then shot in the head and killed as the officer watched. In the end, backup police officers killed the gunman. Mr. Chudwin said colleagues of the unresponsive officer believed she “did nothing wrong.”

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2 Responses to “Fear of Lawsuits Drives Cops to Risk Death”

Jeff Molby on November 22nd, 2006 6:03 pm

While they are both compelling stories, but there are possible motives other than “fear of lawsuits”.

I’m not saying fear of lawsuits isn’t a problem, but you’ve drawn a conclusion:

The public pays a heavy price to keep outfits like the ACLU in business

that isn’t justified by this article. It is quite possible that the LEOs in question just need better training on the legalities of lethal force.
kerwin_brown on November 23rd, 2006 2:32 am

Jeff Molby,

Law Enforcement is not the only one that are harassed by lawsuits. They are being used as an instrument of oppression instead of an instrument of justice. The case of the scam of a finger in Wendy’s chili is one example of this. It is the judges’ job to stop such abuse but the judges seem to be derelict in their duties.