Final answer:
The 'fleeing felon rule' allowed officers to use deadly force to prevent the escape of a suspected felon, even if there was no immediate threat. This was changed by the Supreme Court in Tennessee v. Garner, which established that deadly force could not be used unless there was a significant threat posed. Recent incidents involving police shootings have intensified focus on police practices and the use of deadly force.
Step-by-step explanation:
The guideline that held that officers could use deadly force to prevent the escape of a suspected felon, even when that person presented no immediate threat to the officer or the public, was known as the fleeing felon rule. This rule was examined and significantly restricted by the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1 (1985). In this case, the court held that the use of deadly force to prevent the escape of an unarmed fleeing suspect is an unreasonable seizure under the Fourth Amendment, unless the officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious bodily harm to the officer or others.
Before Tennessee v. Garner, some jurisdictions adhered to the common-law fleeing felon rule, which allowed officers to use deadly force against a suspected felon simply for the purposes of apprehension. The decision in Tennessee v. Garner, however, mandated a shift towards a policy that deadly force can only be used if there is an immediate threat, thereby upholding higher scrutiny on the use of deadly force by police officers and emphasizing constitutional protections.
Recent incidents involving police use of deadly force have sparked widespread discussion and public scrutiny, underlining the importance of constitutional protections and the need for police reform. The shooting of unarmed individuals such as Michael Brown and Breonna Taylor, and the death of Eric Garner have contributed to the evolving discourse on police practices and systemic issues such as racial profiling and institutional racism within law enforcement.