ACT 235 Use of Force 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Act 235, a lethal weapons carrier may use deadly force ONLY when the threat is:
- Verbal and threatening
- Imminent and poses risk of death or serious bodily injury (Correct answer)
- Probable within the next 24 hours
- Suspected based on prior criminal history
Correct answer: Imminent and poses risk of death or serious bodily injury
Act 235 authorizes deadly force only when the threat is imminent and poses a risk of death or serious bodily injury.
Question 2: The 'objective reasonableness' standard for use of force, established in Graham v. Connor, requires that the officer's actions be judged from the perspective of:
- A legal scholar reviewing the case after the fact
- A reasonable officer on the scene at the time (Correct answer)
- The officer's supervisor reviewing body camera footage
- A jury evaluating the emotional state of the officer
Correct answer: A reasonable officer on the scene at the time
Graham v. Connor established that force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene at the moment of decision.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes 'disparity of force' as a justification for using deadly force?
- When an armed suspect threatens two or more officers
- When a physical advantage such as size, strength, or numbers makes the threat equivalent to a deadly weapon (Correct answer)
- When an officer is outnumbered during a foot pursuit
- When a suspect refuses to comply with verbal commands
Correct answer: When a physical advantage such as size, strength, or numbers makes the threat equivalent to a deadly weapon
Disparity of force exists when a physical advantage—such as size, strength, or multiple attackers—creates a threat level equivalent to a deadly weapon.
Question 4: Under Act 235, the use of force must stop as soon as:
- The suspect is handcuffed
- The officer decides the situation is under control
- The threat is no longer imminent or has been neutralized (Correct answer)
- Backup officers arrive on scene
Correct answer: The threat is no longer imminent or has been neutralized
Force must cease the moment the threat is no longer imminent or has been neutralized to avoid excessive use of force liability.
Question 5: Which factor is NOT considered when evaluating the reasonableness of force under Graham v. Connor?
- Severity of the crime at issue
- Whether the suspect poses an immediate threat
- Whether the suspect is actively resisting
- The officer's personal opinion of the suspect (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The officer's personal opinion of the suspect
Graham v. Connor focuses on objective factors—severity of crime, immediacy of threat, and resistance—not on the officer's personal views.
Question 6: A security officer encounters a subject who is armed with a knife and advancing within 21 feet. This scenario is associated with which training concept?
- Tueller Drill (Correct answer)
- Cooper Color Code
- OODA Loop
- Force Continuum Model
Correct answer: Tueller Drill
The Tueller Drill demonstrates that a person with a knife can cover 21 feet in approximately 1.5 seconds, justifying a deadly force response.
Question 7: Which principle requires a lethal weapons officer to use the least amount of force necessary to control a situation?
- Principle of Finality
- Principle of Proportionality (Correct answer)
- Principle of Deterrence
- Principle of Supremacy
Correct answer: Principle of Proportionality
The principle of proportionality requires that the level of force used must match and not exceed what is necessary to address the threat.
ACT 235 Use of Force 2
Under Act 235, a lethal weapons carrier may use deadly force ONLY when the threat is: