CA5: Hitting a man on ground in fetal position 26 times stated claim

Allegations of police beating a man 26 times lying in the fetal position was enough to overcome qualified immunity. “Though Joseph was not suspected of committing any crime, was in the fetal position, and was not actively resisting, Officers Martin and Costa inflicted twenty-six blunt-force injuries on Joseph and tased him twice, all while he pleaded for help and reiterated that he was not armed. Officers Martin and Costa are not entitled to summary judgment on the constitutional merits.” “Surveying the state of the law as of February 7, 2017, we conclude that analogous facts from Newman v. Guedry, Ramirez v. Martinez, and Cooper v. Brown provided notice to any reasonable officer that it was unconstitutional to tase and strike Joseph as Officers Martin and Costa did here.” Joseph v. Bartlett, 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 36688 (5th Cir. Nov. 20, 2020).*

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