# Controversial encounters between law-enforcement and civilians - the omnibus thread #2

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [June 23, 2020, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531 "2020-06-23T20:29:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2291

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**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2021, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-encounters-between-law-enforcement-and-civilians-the-omnibus-thread-2/912531/2291 "2021-12-17T05:22:42Z")

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I posted this as the OP to a Great Debates thread but it is a controversial encounter between law enforcement and a civilian:

> [@Kevin Byrd v. Ray Lamb (Absolute immunity case, eh)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kevin-byrd-v-ray-lamb-absolute-immunity-case-eh/956198/1):
>
> The basics:
> 
> Kevin Byrd received notice that his ex-GF, the mother of this son, had been in a very bad car accident. He drove to the hospital to see her and then drove to the bar where she and her current BF has been the night before.
> 
> While in the parking lot, a man approached his car with a gun drawn and threatened him, telling him to exit the car or he would be shot. Mr. Byrd refused. The gunman attempted to break the driver’s side window with his gun but failed to do so. A round was ejected. He then attempted to shoot Mr. Byrd, but the gun jammed.
> 
> Mr. Byrd had by now called 911. The police arrived to the standoff and promptly arrested Mr. Byrd.
> 
> After reviewing the security footage, they released Mr. Byrd and arrested the other man, Ray Lamb, whose son had been the other party in the accident involving the ex-GF.
> 
> Except that Mr. Lamb is also Homeland Security Agent Lamb, and an appeals court says that as a federal officer he is immune to all lawsuits and prosecution.
> 
> Hence the seeking of _certiorari_ from the SCOTUS.

Links:

Here’s a fairly good altho concise news article:

> **[Texas man held at gunpoint by federal agent seeks Supreme Court intervention](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-texas-man-gunpoint-federal-agents/)**
>
> "Are federal officials somehow different than state and local officials?" said Anya Bidwell, a lawyer with the Institute for Justice.

Here’s a recent under-5-minute video about the _cert_ filing, which includes the video of the incident:

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/GhaJQJJcYjA/maxresdefault.jpg "A federal agent tried to shoot an innocent man. Will the Supreme Court allow accountability?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhaJQJJcYjA)

Here’s the actual petition:

> **[20210806152332306\_Petition%20for%20a%20Writ%20of%20Certiorari.pdf](https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-184/186937/20210806152332306_Petition%20for%20a%20Writ%20of%20Certiorari.pdf)**
>
> 562.46 KB

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