Barnes v. Felix

Decided May 15, 2025. Elena Kagan delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 23-1239 · 605 U.S. 73 · Cited 122 times

The Fifth Circuit’s moment-of-threat rule—a framework for evaluating police shootings which requires a court to look only to the circumstances existing at the precise time an officer perceived the threat inducing him to shoot—improperly narrows the Fourth Amendment analysis of police use of force.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

Read the official opinion (PDF, supremecourt.gov) (opens primary source in a new tab)

Elena Kagan’s profile · All opinions since October Term 2017 · The Supreme Court

Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2025). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-02. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).