Two Oakland police officers got in a heap of trouble three and a half years ago when an unauthorized and arguably unnecessary chase they initiated resulted in the death of an innocent bystander. They now want the Supreme Court to relieve them of any 14th Amendment claims of fault.

The case stems from the case of a "ghost chase" initiated by two Oakland officers of a suspect they believed had just left a nearby sideshow in East Oakland in June 2022. The officers chased 19-year-old suspect Arnold Azael Linaldi, at speeds up to 100 mph, on Oakland city streets, until Linaldi ultimately crashed his Nissan 350Z into some parked cars on International Boulevard, killing 28-year-old Lolomanaia "Lolo" Soakai and wounding others who were all standing by a taco truck.

Former Oakland cops Walid Abdelaziz and Jimmy Marin-Coronel are hoping the Supreme Court will take up their case, which calls to question a disagreement among appeals courts with regard to due-process claims of innocent bystanders who are injured or killed as a result of police chases they were not a part of.

Last May, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found that Abdelaziz and Marin-Coronel could be held responsible for initiating the "reckless pursuit" that killed

"This Circuit’s precedent recognizes that an officer owes a duty to all those in the vicinity, including bystanders, to limit their intent to harm to legitimate law enforcement purposes," the appellate judges wrote.

And the judges were further compelled to find the officers responsible after it came to light that they at first tried to hide the fact that they caused the ensuing crash, slinking away from the scene without summoning medical help and then returning, acting surprised. One of the officers was also heard on body-cam footage saying he hoped that the driver, Linaldi, died.

As KTVU reports, attorneys for Abdelaziz and Marin-Coronel hope that the Supreme Court will recognize the unprecedented nature of the case, given that other appellate courts have not found officers liable in similar situations in which suspect vehicles caused fatal crashes, and the officers did not intend harm.

The case comes at a time of rising awareness about the dangers of police chases, as cities around the country grapple with how to craft policies that keep the public safe while also allowing officers to conduct chases under certain circumstances.

At the time of the 2022, the Oakland Police Department had a strict policy against pursuits except in cases of violent crime — chasing a sideshow participant would not rise that level, obviously. So, because this was an unauthorized chase, it's referred to as a "ghost chase," and the rookie officers involved clearly knew they had done something wrong when they decided to flee from the scene.

Both Abdelaziz and Marin-Coronel were on adminsitrative leave from the OPD for three years before they both resigned last March. And while the City of Oakland has been careful to say that the former officers are pursuing their appeals outside of the purview of the city, and the city is not a party to their suit, the city remains financially responsible for their defense and is footing their legal bills.

Linaldi, meanwhile, still faces vehicular manslaughter charges, and his case is still pending, per KTVU.

The family of Soakai, including his mother who was also injured in the crash, has a civil suit pending with the City of Oakland that they've agreed to move into settlement talks for by March 3.

Previously: Report Alleges Oakland PD Officers Lied About No-Headlights, 100-MPH Car Chase That Killed Bystander