Under qualified immunity, the officer is protected from personal liability.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only if the agency approves
• D. In all cases the officer is liable

Answer: (A)

Qualified immunity acts as a shield for officers in civil cases. It protects them from personal liability for damages when they are performing their official duties, as long as their conduct did not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights that a reasonable officer would have known at the time. In practice, this means a plaintiff must show that the officer’s actions violated a right that was clearly established and that the officer’s conduct was not objectively reasonable under the circumstances. Because of this, the statement is true: officers are protected from personal liability in many situations, even if later allegations suggest the action was questionable, provided the above standards are met. Agency approval is not required for this shield, and it does not apply in every single case where liability could be imposed.