City of Arlington, Texas v. Crane

Linked with:

• Roper v. Crane

Issues: (1) Whether, where a suspect with an outstanding felony arrest warrant refuses repeated commands to turn off his car and exit the vehicle, clearly states he will not surrender, struggles with an officer in the vehicle while revving the car’s engine, making the tires spin, and causing the car to smoke and sway from side to side, would a reasonable officer, who is half in and half out of the vehicle, conclude that the suspect poses a risk of serious harm to the officer or others; (2) whether a police officer attempting to execute a lawful arrest warrant against a suspect in a car who is struggling with the officer and revving his vehicle, making the tires spin and causing it to smoke and sway side to side, “obviously” violates the suspect’s Fourth Amendment rights by deploying deadly force just before the car reverses running over his fellow officer; and (3) whether the mere existence of a municipal policy of allowing traffic stops can constitute the moving force behind a subsequent unlawful use of force sufficient to impose municipal liability for such use of force.