The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear a family's bid to revive a lawsuit against a New Jersey state trooper who fatally shot a mentally ill man who was pointing a gun at his own head in a case involving a legal defense that often protects officers from accusations of excessive force.
In a dissent, Justice Sotomayor said it was “undisputed” that the officer knew the man was suicidal and mentally ill, and knocked the overuse of qualified immunity.