Kinglsey v. Hendrickson

First, the Court noted this holding is consistent with precedent. In Bell v. Wolfish, the Court held a pretrial detainee could prevail on an excessive force claim by providing objective evidence the alleged use of force was not related to a legitimate governmental objective or that the force was excessive in relation to the alleged reason for its use. Second, the Court held an objective standard is “workable,” as many facilities, including the one in this case, train officers to interact with all detainees as if the officers’ conduct is subject to an objective reasonableness standard. Finally, the court held the use of an objective standard protects an officer who acts in “good faith.” The court recognized that running a detention facility is difficult and that officers facing disturbances are often forced to make split-second judgments in circumstances that are tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving. In addition, the court explained as part of the objective reasonableness analysis, it is appropriate to give deference to a facility’s policies and practices, which are in place to maintain order and institutional security.