Legal Authority & Use of Force Flashcards
7 cards from real CFA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Legal Authority & Use of Force flashcards as text
The Supreme Court case Graham v. Connor established that use of force by law enforcement must be evaluated under which constitutional standard?
Answer: Objective reasonableness under the Fourth Amendment
Graham v. Connor (1989) held that excessive force claims are analyzed under the Fourth Amendment's objective reasonableness standard, not subjective intent.
Under Tennessee v. Garner, when may an officer use deadly force to stop a fleeing suspect?
Answer: When there is probable cause the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious injury
Tennessee v. Garner limits deadly force on fleeing suspects to situations where the officer has probable cause to believe the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury.
Which factor is NOT one of the Graham v. Connor factors used to assess force reasonableness?
Answer: The officer's years of service and training level
The three Graham factors are: crime severity, immediate threat posed, and active resistance/evasion — officer experience is not a Graham factor.
A field agent confronts an unarmed subject who is verbally hostile but not physically aggressive. What is the most appropriate initial response?
Answer: Use verbal de-escalation and maintain safe distance
Verbal de-escalation is the appropriate response to verbal hostility without physical threat, consistent with use-of-force continuum principles.
42 U.S.C. § 1983 allows individuals to sue government officials for which type of violation?
Answer: Deprivation of constitutional rights under color of law
Section 1983 provides a civil cause of action against persons who deprive others of federally protected rights while acting under color of state law.
Which doctrine provides government officials protection from civil liability when their conduct does not violate clearly established law?
Answer: Qualified immunity
Qualified immunity shields government officials from civil liability unless their conduct violated a clearly established statutory or constitutional right.
When assessing force used, courts evaluate the perspective of:
Answer: A reasonable officer on the scene with the same information
Courts assess force from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, allowing for the tense, rapidly evolving circumstances officers face.