The Supreme Court has rejected the "moment-of-threat" rule, which shielded officers from civil liability in police shooting cases.

In a case making it easier to challenge police unreasonable force in court, the Supreme Court Thursday unanimously allowed the mother of a Houston man killed in a traffic stop to continue an excessive force court claim.

The Supreme Court ruled that the totality of circumstances must be considered when determining whether a police shooting is justified, not just the seconds before an officer opens fire.