City of Tahlequah v. Bond

On August 12, 2016, in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, police officers Josh Girdner and Chase Reed responded to a 911 call from the stepfather of Dominic Vann, who reported that Vann was intoxicated and threatening them with a hammer. The officers found Vann in the garage, holding a hammer. They ordered him to drop the weapon, but Vann moved toward them, raising the hammer. Both officers fired multiple shots, killing Vann. His mother, Debbie Bond, as personal representative of his estate, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the officers and the City of Tahlequah, alleging excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The district court denied qualified immunity, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed. The Supreme Court granted certiorari and reversed in a per curiam opinion issued on October 18, 2021.

The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Tenth Circuit, holding that the officers did not violate clearly established law and were therefore entitled to qualified immunity. The case was remanded for entry of judgment in favor of the officers.

Whether the officers used excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment, and whether they were entitled to qualified immunity because the law was not clearly established that shooting an armed suspect advancing with a hammer was unconstitutional.

The ruling reinforced qualified immunity for police officers in deadly force cases and was cited by critics as another barrier to holding law enforcement accountable. It highlighted divisions over police reform and contributed to ongoing national debate about use of force and legal protections for officers.