Ruling in a case that sparked protests in Mobile, Alabama, in 2016 and continues to generate controversy, a federal judge has added to a small but significant body of case law holding that police officers accused of shooting citizens are not automatically protected by the doctrine of qualified immunity, which has so often derailed civil lawsuits seeking damages.

Michael Dashawn Moore was shot and killed during a traffic stop by Mobile Police officer Harry Hurst in 2016 when, according to witnesses, he had his hands up.