Orange County Police Shooting Attorney
My law office is dedicated to pursuing justice for our clients. Police shootings occur all too frequently, and we believe the victims of unjustified police violence deserve justive and compensation. We hold police accountable for unjustified uses of force.
Police are legally authorized to use potentially deadly force only against a person who poses an imminent and significant threat to the officer or to someone else. The use of lethal force is lawful only if it was “objectively reasonable.” Therefore, a plaintiff in an Orange County police shooting case must prove that it was objectively unreasonable for the officer to believe that the plaintiff posed an imminent threat.
In many Orange County police shooting cases, the officer will claim that the use of force was objectively reasonable because the victim made a threatening movement or appeared to be holding a dangerous weapon. Refuting these claims is often the key to winning a case. Absent video evidence, this requires analyzing forensics, gathering witness statements, and cross-examining the police officer’s story in depositions and at trial.
Other cases arise when an officer shoots an unarmed fleeing suspect in the back. A fleeing suspect clearly poses no imminent threat to the officer; therefore, whether the police officer reasonably believed that the suspect posed an imminent threat to another person is the crucial question.
Whatever the circumstances, we will investigate your case and inform you of your legal options. You may be able to sue the police on Constitutional grounds, under a theory of tort law, or both.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a police shooting in Orange County, we can help you get the justice you deserve. Call the Law Offices of Scott D. Hughes at 714-423-6928 to schedule your free consultation.