Florida High Court Rules Police Can Be Sued Over Safety Checks

A sharply divided Florida Supreme Court says law enforcement agencies can be sued over “safety checks” that go bad.

The justices ruled 4-3 in the case of an elderly woman who later died after Marion County deputies responding to a 911 call refused to summon an ambulance even though they couldn’t wake her.

Dissenting justices said the ruling would discourage law enforcement agencies from doing safety checks for fear of being sued.