Use of Force Principles Flashcards
7 cards from real DCJS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Use of Force Principles flashcards as text
An emotionally disturbed person advances toward an officer shouting incoherently but is unarmed. The officer's BEST initial response is:
Answer: Use verbal commands and create distance while assessing the threat
When facing an unarmed emotionally disturbed person, officers should use verbal commands, create distance, and continuously reassess before escalating to physical force.
Which concept describes the idea that an officer need not wait until a weapon is pointed at them before using defensive force?
Answer: Imminent threat doctrine
The imminent threat doctrine recognizes that officers may act against a threat that is about to occur, not only one already in progress.
Which of the following best describes 'totality of the circumstances' as it applies to use of force?
Answer: All relevant facts and circumstances known to the officer at the moment force is used are considered
Courts examine all facts and circumstances known to the officer at the moment of the force decision, not isolated individual factors.
A suspect who is handcuffed and secured begins spitting at the officer. The officer may appropriately:
Answer: Place a spit mask on the suspect to prevent further spitting
A spit mask is a proportional, non-injurious response to a handcuffed subject who is spitting, addressing the threat without excessive force.
Under DCJS guidelines, the use of a chokehold or vascular neck restraint by Virginia officers is:
Answer: Permitted only as a last resort when deadly force would otherwise be justified under many agency policies
Most Virginia agencies, in accordance with updated DCJS guidance, restrict neck restraints to situations where deadly force is otherwise justified, given their life-threatening potential.
Which Supreme Court case established that excessive force claims against law enforcement are analyzed under the Fourth Amendment?
Answer: Graham v. Connor
Graham v. Connor (1989) established that all claims of excessive force during arrest or investigatory stop are governed by the Fourth Amendment's objective reasonableness standard.
An officer is punched by a suspect. Before responding with force, the officer must:
Answer: Immediately assess the threat and respond with force proportional to that threat
When assaulted, an officer immediately assesses the threat level and may respond with proportional force; there is no requirement to absorb additional blows first.