Sixth Circuit reverses lower court, dismisses claims against officers who shot 15 year-old in his closet

Dorothy Chappell sued on behalf of the Estate of Brandon McCloud, alleging that the Cleveland Police officers who fatally shot McCloud several times, should be responsible for his death. The City argued that the officers did not act unreasonably, and therefore that they should be immune from damages for killing McCloud. The lower court denied the City's motion for summary disposition, holding that there were questions of fact regarding the reasonableness of the officers' claims. The Sixth Circuit disagreed, however, and dismissed the case, holding that no reasonable person could dispute that the officers acted reasonably, given their testimony that McCloud was wielding a knife when he "lunged" from his bedroom closet.