Taiwan's High Court has again sided with police over a 2020 death in custody, a defeat for the father who sued the state and a win for officers facing questions about how much force is too much.

• A man shouting inside a betel nut shop in New Taipei's Xinzhuang was pepper-sprayed, dragged outside, and pinned face-down by several officers.
• He went into shock at the scene and died in hospital nine days later from muscle breakdown and lung failure.
• His father sought about NT$6.6 million from the state, arguing police kept crushing his son for ten minutes after he could no longer resist.
• The court found the man was in a state of agitated delirium with a high fever, and ruled the restraint was necessary because knives and other objects in the shop posed a danger.
• Medical experts agreed heavy pressure on the back can raise the risk of shock, but said officers had no way to know about his condition, so no negligence was proven.

Outlook: The ruling upholds the first-instance verdict and leaves a further appeal to the Supreme Court as the father's only remaining option.