When a felony suspect runs, your front door stops being private real estate.

In a clear endorsement of the hot-pursuit exception, the Ninth Circuit upheld summary judgment in favor of San Bernardino County deputies who entered a private home without a warrant while chasing a fleeing felony suspect. The court found that deputies had probable cause to believe the suspect—who had evaded a traffic stop—had entered the residence, and that their warrantless entry met constitutional muster under the Fourth Amendment.

Although officers lost sight of the suspect for several minutes, the panel held that the pursuit remained “immediate and continuous,” given aerial surveillance, signs of recent entry at the back door, and the low likelihood of escape. The decision reinforces a critical principle: when a felony suspect is on the run, the Fourth Amendment makes room for swift, warrantless action—especially when supported by probable cause and pressing circumstances.