Whitley v. Albers
United States Supreme Court
475 U.S. 312, 106 S. Ct. 1078, 89 L. Ed. 2D 251 (1986)
- Written by Salina Kennedy, JD
Facts
Gerald Albers (plaintiff), an inmate at the Oregon State Penitentiary, was shot by a prison guard during an attempt to stop a prison riot. The inmates who instigated the riot had taken a prison guard hostage and were threatening to kill him. Whitley (defendant), the prison security manager, organized a squad of armed guards to quell the riot, ordering them to fire a warning shot and then to shoot low at any prisoners who attempted to enter the area where the hostage was being held. Albers, who was not involved in the riot, attempted to protect several elderly inmates from harm. When he approached the area where the hostage was being held, he was shot in the knee. Albers brought a claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against Whitley and other guards, alleging that they had demonstrated deliberate indifference to his circumstances in violation of his Eighth Amendment rights. The district court entered a directed verdict for Whitley, and the court of appeals reversed the judgment of the district court. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (O’Connor, J.)
Dissent (Marshall, J.)
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