Campbell v. Williams et al

Larry Campbell, as the personal representative of the estate of Frank Campbell, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against Baton Rouge police officer Brian Williams and others. The case stemmed from a 2017 incident where Frank Campbell, armed with a knife, was fatally shot by Officer Williams during a domestic disturbance call. The plaintiffs alleged excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the officer based on qualified immunity. On April 14, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the lower court's decision, holding that the officer did not violate clearly established law and was therefore entitled to qualified immunity.

The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment, ruling that Officer Brian Williams did not violate clearly established law and was shielded from liability by qualified immunity. The civil rights lawsuit was dismissed.

Whether the police officer's use of deadly force against an individual armed with a knife constituted excessive force under the Fourth Amendment, and whether the officer was entitled to qualified immunity because the law was not clearly established at the time of the shooting.

The ruling reinforced the high bar plaintiffs face in overcoming qualified immunity in police use-of-force cases, sparking renewed debate among civil rights advocates and legal scholars regarding the need for legislative reform of the qualified immunity doctrine to hold law enforcement accountable for excessive force claims.