Police officers are protected by 'qualified immunity' — you can only sue them if they violated a 'clearly established' constitutional right. This makes it very difficult to sue officers, because courts can dismiss cases simply by finding no prior case with identical facts.
Courts may grant qualified immunity to officers without first determining whether a constitutional right was violated.
Explains why lawsuits against police are so difficult. Qualified immunity shields officers from personal liability unless a court has already ruled that exact conduct unconstitutional.
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