Use of Force and Tactics Flashcards

Under Graham v. Connor, an officer's use of force is judged by what standard?

Answer: Objective reasonableness from the perspective of a reasonable officer on scene

Graham v. Connor established the objective reasonableness standard based on the totality of circumstances known to the officer at the moment.

Which is NOT one of the Graham factors used to assess reasonableness of force?

Answer: The suspect's prior criminal record

The three Graham factors are crime severity, immediate threat, and active resistance or flight—not prior record.

The concept of the 'use of force continuum' primarily helps officers to:

Answer: Apply force proportional to the level of resistance encountered

A force continuum guides officers to use force proportional to the subject's level of resistance.

Tennessee v. Garner limits the use of deadly force against a fleeing suspect to situations where:

Answer: The suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical harm

Garner held deadly force on a fleeing suspect is only justified when the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious injury.

Verbal de-escalation techniques are most effective when:

Answer: Employed early to gain voluntary compliance and reduce tension

De-escalation works best when applied early to reduce tension and gain voluntary compliance when time and circumstances allow.

The '21-foot rule' (Tueller Drill) refers to the principle that:

Answer: A suspect with an edged weapon can close roughly 21 feet before an officer can draw and fire

The Tueller principle illustrates that an attacker with a knife can cover about 21 feet in the time it takes to draw and fire.

When an officer uses force, the duty to render or summon medical aid arises:

Answer: Promptly once the scene is safe and the need is apparent

Officers have a duty to render or summon appropriate medical aid promptly after using force once the scene is secure.