Which court case ruled that officers may use deadly force to prevent escape only under certain conditions?

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The ruling in Tennessee v. Garner is significant because it established the legal framework that permits law enforcement officers to use deadly force under specific circumstances. The case involved the fatal shooting of a fleeing suspect who was unarmed, and the Supreme Court determined that the use of deadly force to prevent an escape is only justified if an officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious injury to the officer or others.

This ruling emphasized that the constitutional rights of individuals must be considered, particularly the Fourth Amendment, which protects against unreasonable seizures. The Court laid out that when a suspect is not a threat to the officer or public, deadly force is not justified, thereby contributing to a more restrained and constitutional approach to the use of force in law enforcement encounters.

The other cases listed deal with different aspects of law enforcement and constitutional rights. Miranda v. Arizona addresses rights to counsel and self-incrimination during interrogations, Graham v. Connor focuses on the use of excessive force in the context of an arrest, and Ferguson v. City of Charleston pertains to the legality of drug testing pregnant women without consent. None of these cases directly address the specific issue of the use of deadly force in pursuit scenarios like Tennessee v. Garner.

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