The law firm representing U.S. Army Lt. Caron Nazario in a civil rights complaint filed against two police officers said it is “very pleased” with the new precedent coming from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit overturning part of a lower court ruling.
The Fourth Circuit in a 2-1 decision May 31 reversed the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia’s award of qualified immunity to police officer Joe Gutierrez, finding the Windsor Police Department patrolman had violated Nazario’s Fourth Amendment rights during a December 2020 traffic stop in the Old Dominion State.