Graham, a diabetic, asked a friend to take him to the grocery store to buy orange juice to counteract an insulin reaction. The store was packed, so Graham quickly returned to the car to ask his friend to drive him to a friend’s house instead. A city police officer became suspicious of Graham after seeing him hastily leave the store. After pulling them over, the officer placed Graham under arrest, cuffing his hands tightly behind his back, and ignored Berry’s pleas to get him some sugar. The Supreme Court ruled that excessive use of force claims must be evaluated under the “objectively reasonable” standard of the Fourth Amendment.

Related ICAAD article: “Police Cannot Police Themselves Part II: Graham v Connor (1989)”