Use of Force Policies Flashcards

Which of the following populations requires heightened consideration and additional justification before force is used?

Answer: Subjects who are pregnant, elderly, juveniles, or in mental health crisis

Agency policies and best practices require heightened caution when using force on vulnerable populations such as pregnant individuals, the elderly, juveniles, and those experiencing mental health crises.

Which of the following is an example of PROHIBITED use of force under most Oregon agency policies?

Answer: Applying a neck restraint or choke hold except in immediate deadly force situations

Neck restraints and choke holds are prohibited in most Oregon agency policies except when deadly force is legally justified, due to the risk of serious injury or death.

What action is an officer required to take if they witness a colleague using excessive force?

Answer: Intervene to stop the excessive force and report it

Officers have a legal and ethical duty to intervene when they witness excessive force and to report it to a supervisor, consistent with Oregon law and most agency policies.

Under which circumstance would use of deadly force be legally justified in Oregon?

Answer: A subject poses an imminent threat of death or serious physical injury to officers or others

Deadly force is only legally justified when there is an imminent threat of death or serious physical injury — verbal threats alone or flight from misdemeanors are insufficient.

What is the purpose of an 'early warning system' in use-of-force policy?

Answer: To identify officers with patterns of repeated use-of-force incidents for review

Early warning systems track use-of-force data to identify officers with potentially problematic patterns so supervisors can intervene with counseling or additional training.

Which of the following actions by a subject would most likely justify moving from verbal commands directly to a higher level of force?

Answer: Advancing aggressively with a weapon raised

An aggressive advance with a weapon represents an immediate threat, justifying a rapid escalation of force without exhausting each intermediate step.

When must an officer re-evaluate the level of force being applied during a use-of-force incident?

Answer: Continuously throughout the encounter as the threat level changes

Officers must continuously assess the situation and adjust force — escalating or de-escalating — as the threat level changes throughout the encounter.