Use of Force, Defensive Tactics, and Officer Safety
What this domain tests
This domain tests the statutory and constitutional limits on force, the objective-reasonableness standard, and the practical safety decisions that surround a force encounter.
Core rules
- 720 ILCS 5/7-1 authorizes force to defend against imminent unlawful force. Deadly force is justified only to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm, or to prevent a forcible felony.
- 720 ILCS 5/7-5 authorizes force reasonably necessary to effect an arrest or prevent escape; deadly force is limited to preventing escape by a person who has committed or attempted a forcible felony and poses a threat.
- Graham v. Connor applies objective reasonableness: totality of circumstances, the severity of the crime, whether the suspect poses an immediate threat, and whether the suspect is actively resisting or evading arrest. Judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on scene, not with hindsight.
- Tennessee v. Garner prohibits deadly force against a fleeing suspect who poses no immediate threat.
- The SAFE-T Act (P.A. 101-652) tightened Illinois standards: deadly force only when necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm, restrictions on chokeholds and prone restraint, a duty to intervene to stop excessive force, and a duty to render aid.
- Officer safety fundamentals: reactionary gap, cover versus concealment, contact and cover, communication, and continuous reassessment.
Worked example
An officer responds to a man yelling at pedestrians and swinging a stick. The man drops the stick when told, then advances with empty hands. Force used must be proportional to the threat: verbal commands, distance, and a control hold may be reasonable. A baton strike to the head would not be, because no imminent death or great bodily harm is present.
Traps
Equating "reasonably necessary" with "any force I feel like." Evaluating force with hindsight. Using force to punish verbal disrespect. Failing to intervene when a colleague applies excessive force.