Which landmark Supreme Court case prohibited the shooting of fleeing felons?

• A. Katz v. United States
• B. Mapp v. Ohio
• C. Tennessee v. Garner
• D. Gideon v. Wainwright

Answer: (C)

The main idea is how the law governs police use of deadly force. This Supreme Court ruling says you can’t shoot a fleeing felon just to stop an escape. Deadly force is only permissible if the officer has probable cause to believe the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical harm to the officer or others. This replaces the old idea that a fleeing suspect could be shot simply to prevent escape, emphasizing that force must be justified by imminent danger.

That’s why this choice is the best: it directly addresses the prohibition on shooting fleeing felons and sets the standard that protects people’s safety while guiding officers to assess threat level before using deadly force. The other cases deal with different constitutional issues—privacy expectations (Katz), the exclusion of improperly obtained evidence (Mapp), and the right to counsel (Gideon)—not the rules governing use of deadly force in pursuit scenarios.