Federal Court Says Qualified Immunity Can’t Shield Cop Who Tased Suicidal Man Soaked In Gasoline

Qualified Immunity shouldn't even apply to police. They should also be required to carry their own insurance against mistakes they make, just like doctors have malpractice insurance. Officer mistakes should not be paid for by taxpayers.

Heck, it'll make jobs. The insurance companies would definitely implement something like medical coding to categorize things "properly".

Three years ago, the Fifth Circuit Appeals Court somehow arrived at the conclusion that tasing someone soaked in gasoline — an act of escalation that not only killed the suicidal person officers were supposed to rescuing but also burned the entire residence to the ground — was not excessive force. It was supposedly justified by the gasoline-soaked man’s threats that he would burn himself and the house down if officers kept advancing on him.

"Stay back, or I'll burn myself and the building!"

"Nuh-uh! I'M going to do that!!!"

Spark + fuel and oxidizer = fire. Remind me again why they won't hire you to be a cop if you're too smart?