The Supreme Court is currently deliberating on a civil rights lawsuit involving a Texas police officer who fatally shot a man during a traffic stop in Houston over unpaid tolls. The incident in question occurred in April 2016 on the Sam Houston Tollway, where Ashtian Barnes was shot by Officer Roberto Felix Jr. as Barnes attempted to drive away from the stop in his rental car.
The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had previously dismissed the excessive force lawsuit filed by Barnes' mother, Janice Hughes, against Officer Felix. However, the Supreme Court justices expressed a consensus that the case should be reevaluated, focusing on whether the lower courts applied the correct standard in assessing Felix's actions.
