Supreme Court rules Vermont police sergeant entitled to qualified immunity in arrest case dispute
The US Supreme Court has ruled that a Vermont state police sergeant is entitled to qualified immunity in a lawsuit over a protester's claim of injury during an arrest involving a wristlock technique. The court reversed a lower court decision that had denied the sergeant immunity from the lawsuit.
The Supreme Court has ruled that a Vermont state police sergeant is entitled to qualified immunity in a lawsuit brought by a protester who claimed to have been injured during an arrest, reversing a lower court's decision. The ruling means the sergeant will not be personally liable for damages despite being accused of using excessive force against the protester. The decision upholds the principle of qualified immunity, which shields government officials from lawsuits unless they clearly violated established laws or policies. The case centers on a 2016 protest in Montpelier, Vermont, where an officer used a wristlock on a demonstrator.
