Use of Force and Tactics Flashcards

A use-of-force report should document:

Answer: The totality of circumstances, threat indicators, subject actions, and officer response

Thorough reports capture the full context—threat cues, subject behavior, and the officer's reasonable response—to support objective reasonableness.

The duty to intervene requires an officer to:

Answer: Stop a fellow officer's clearly excessive force when in a position to do so

Officers have an affirmative duty to intervene to prevent or stop another officer's use of excessive or unlawful force.

Many agencies now prohibit or strictly limit neck restraints (chokeholds) because they:

Answer: Carry a high risk of serious injury or death

Neck restraints can restrict blood flow or breathing and have led to deaths, prompting widespread bans or limits.

Qualified immunity may shield an officer from civil liability unless the officer:

Answer: Violated a clearly established constitutional right

Qualified immunity protects officers unless their conduct violated a clearly established constitutional or statutory right.

De-escalation policy generally encourages officers, when feasible, to:

Answer: Use time, distance, and communication to slow the situation down

De-escalation leverages time, distance, and communication to reduce the likelihood that force becomes necessary.

After a force incident resulting in injury, an officer should:

Answer: Secure the scene, render or summon aid, and notify a supervisor

Post-incident duties include securing the scene, providing or summoning medical aid, and promptly notifying a supervisor.

Force used after a subject is fully handcuffed and compliant is generally:

Answer: Excessive and unreasonable absent new resistance or threat

Once a subject is restrained and compliant, additional force is typically unreasonable unless a new threat or resistance arises.