Retired officer asks Supreme Court to curb legal immunity for police

As the nation wrestles with high-profile cases of police excessive force, a retired federal agent wants the Supreme Court to curb legal protections for officers.

For more than two decades, Jose Oliva built a career in federal law enforcement busting bad guys for money laundering and narcotics. After he retired, during a trip to the dentist in 2016, Oliva was the one getting busted up at the hands of federal police. "This big guy grabbed my left hand and with his two hands, he jerked my arm as high as he could. Almost simultaneously, as this guy was jerking my arm, he put a chokehold on my throat very hard, very hurtful," Oliva said of the incident at the El Paso, Texas, VA hospital. "I told them I can’t -- I cannot breathe, let me go. I cannot breathe." Oliva, now 76, a Vietnam War veteran and longtime VA patient, underwent two surgeries to repair injuries sustained after officers forcefully arrested him at a security screening checkpoint following a dispute over his ID. "The officer asked for me ID… I told them my VA card, my ID is in the bin," he recalled, "and for whatever reasons, he did not like that answer." The officers, who dispute that account, cited Oliva with disorderly conduct; the charge was later dismissed.