People v. Couch

We agree with Justice Archer’s conclusion that the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Tennessee v Garner, 471 US 1; 105 S Ct 1694; 85 L Ed 2d 1 (1985), did not "automatically” modify this state’s criminal law with respect to the use of deadly force to apprehend a fleeing felon. Post, p 441.

As Justice Archer explains, Garner’s pronouncements regarding the constitutionality of the use of such force are inapplicable to private citizens such as the defendant. Regardless of the defendant’s status as a private citizen, however, the prosecution’s argument that Garner applies directly to…