The Supreme Court threw out a lower court’s ruling that had granted qualified immunity to a corrections officer accused of brutalizing an inmate during an unprovoked attack, reports KFGO Texas.
In his lawsuit, Prince MCoy charged Tajudeen Alamu of violating his constitutional rights by pepper-spraying him for “no reason at all.” According to McCoy’s lawyers, the 2016 incident at the Darrington prison in Rosharon, Texas, left McCoy physically and emotionally traumatized.
In 2020, the New Orleans–based 5th Circuit Court ruled that Alamu was entitled to qualified immunity because his actions were not “clearly established” as unlawful at the time.
After reviewing the case, however, SCOTUS directed the lower court to reconsider in light of their recent ruling in another case also involving an inmate who sued prison officials for cruel and unusual punishment.
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