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Time Over Matter: Measuring The Reasonableness Of Officer Conduct In § 1983 Claims, Evelyn Michalos

Fordham Law Review

In the United States, far more police encounters result in civilian and officer deaths than in other democratic countries. When a government actor uses excessive force against an individual during an arrest or investigatory stop in violation of the Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable seizure, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 provides a federal civil remedy for that individual. In Graham v. Connor and Tennessee v. Garner, the U.S. Supreme Court held that courts should assess the reasonableness of an officer’s use of force to seize an individual in light of the “totality of the circumstances,” which includes the severity of …