( InvestigateTV ) — Traffic stops are among the most unpredictable and potentially dangerous encounters for both law enforcement and civilians.

The uncertainty of who is being approached and how a situation might escalate could influence an officer’s split-second judgment during life-and-death situations, experts said.

According to the non-profit advocacy group Mapping Police Violence , more than 1,200 people were killed by police in 2024, and 12% of those deaths involved people stopped for alleged traffic violations.

While the country’s lower courts have been split in how they analyze officer use of force in fatal shootings, a 2016 traffic stop has now prompted the Supreme Court to weigh in. The decision reshapes precedent for the country and gives one mother a long-awaited step to

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