Use of Force and Defensive Tactics
Legal Standards for Force
Force must be objectively reasonable under the totality of the circumstances (Graham v. Connor factors: severity of the crime, immediate threat, and active resistance or flight). Deadly force is limited to situations where the officer reasonably believes it is necessary to prevent imminent death or serious bodily injury to the officer or another, or to prevent the escape of a suspect who poses a significant threat. Know the difference between deadly and non-deadly force and the duty to intervene when a fellow officer uses excessive force.
Defensive Tactics
Understand the force continuum as a decision framework, not a rigid ladder: officer presence, verbal commands, soft empty-hand control, hard empty-hand control, intermediate weapons (OC, baton, TASER), and deadly force. Know the concepts of escalation and de-escalation, the need to reassess, and the importance of rendering aid after force. Understand positional asphyxia risks and the need to monitor a restrained subject.
Traps and Rule of Thumb
Traps include treating the continuum as a mandatory sequence, using force to punish or retaliate, and failing to articulate the specific facts that justified force. Another trap is assuming a subject's resistance justifies any level of force.
Worked example: A subject passively refuses to place hands behind his back. Escalation to a baton strike is not justified; the officer should use verbal persuasion, control holds, and teamwork. Rule of thumb: match the force to the threat, reassess continuously, and be able to articulate each fact.