4th Amendment Violation – Excessive Force

By: Derek Hawkins//January 13, 2021//

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7^th Circuit Court of Appeals

Case Name: Chandra Turner v. City of Champaign, et al.,

Case No.: 19-3446

Officials: KANNE and HAMILTON, Circuit Judges.

Focus: 4^th Amendment Violation – Excessive Force

Richard Turner died during an encounter with police officers in Champaign, Illinois. The officers were trying to detain him to protect himself and others and to take him to a hospital for evaluation of his mental health. With hindsight we can say that his death might have been avoided. In this suit by Mr. Turner’s estate, however, the central question is not whether officers used best police practices but whether they violated his rights under the Fourth Amendment by using excessive force against him. The district court found that undisputed facts, including a coroner’s findings that Mr. Turner suffered no physical trauma but died of a cardiac arrhythmia, showed that the officers did not use excessive force. We agree and affirm summary judgment for the defendants.

Affirmed

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Derek A Hawkins is Associate Corporate Counsel, IP at Amazon.

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