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Supreme Court Rejects Police Officer's Appeal in 2020 Excessive Force Case
The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by Grand Rapids police officer Phillip Reinink. The case stems from a May 2020 protest incident and will proceed in lower courts.
May 26, 6:40 PM·1m read1 source
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to review an appeal filed by Grand Rapids police officer Phillip Reinink. The officer sought to end a civil lawsuit alleging excessive force during a protest on May 30, 2020. Reinink deployed tear gas during the protest, which occurred days after George Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer.
He stated he believed the launcher contained powder that could be aimed directly at a person, but the device instead fired a canister into the air that struck protester Sean Hart and injured his shoulder. A police department investigation determined the use of force was unreasonable, resulting in a two-day suspension for Reinink.
The lawsuit centers on qualified immunity, a doctrine that can shield officers from civil rights claims.
A federal judge in Michigan dismissed the lawsuit in March 2023. U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision in May 2025, ruling that the incident involved deadly force and that qualified immunity did not apply. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito indicated they would have accepted the appeal and ruled in Reinink's favor. The case can now continue in the district court.
