Police Test Use of Force 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What legal standard established by the U.S. Supreme Court in Graham v. Connor (1989) governs police use of force?
- Subjective reasonableness
- Objective reasonableness (Correct answer)
- Probable cause standard
- Beyond reasonable doubt
Correct answer: Objective reasonableness
Graham v. Connor established the 'objective reasonableness' standard, meaning force is evaluated from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, not with hindsight.
Question 2: The use of force continuum typically begins at which level?
- Verbal commands
- Physical restraint
- Officer presence (Correct answer)
- Less-lethal weapons
Correct answer: Officer presence
Officer presence is the lowest level on the use of force continuum; a uniformed officer's mere presence often influences compliance without any additional action.
Question 3: Under Tennessee v. Garner (1985), an officer may use deadly force to stop a fleeing felon ONLY if:
- The suspect is charged with any felony offense
- The suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others (Correct answer)
- The officer has a supervisor's approval
- The suspect has an active warrant
Correct answer: The suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others
Tennessee v. Garner held that deadly force cannot be used solely to prevent escape; the suspect must pose a significant threat of death or serious injury.
Question 4: Which of the following factors is NOT considered when evaluating whether an officer's use of force was reasonable?
- Severity of the crime at issue
- Whether the suspect posed an immediate threat
- Whether the suspect was actively resisting
- The racial background of the suspect (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The racial background of the suspect
The three primary Graham factors are severity of the crime, immediacy of threat, and active resistance or evasion; race is not a lawful factor in the reasonableness analysis.
Question 5: Deadly force is generally justified when an officer reasonably believes the subject presents:
- A risk of property damage
- An imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm to the officer or others (Correct answer)
- The intent to flee the jurisdiction
- Evidence of prior violent offenses
Correct answer: An imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm to the officer or others
The imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm is the threshold that legally justifies the use of deadly force by law enforcement.
Question 6: De-escalation is best described as:
- The process of documenting a use of force incident
- Tactics and communication strategies used to reduce the intensity of a situation and minimize the need for force (Correct answer)
- The legal review of an officer's use of force
- The process of requesting backup before engaging a suspect
Correct answer: Tactics and communication strategies used to reduce the intensity of a situation and minimize the need for force
De-escalation involves verbal and non-verbal techniques designed to calm a situation, creating opportunities to resolve it with minimal or no force.
Question 7: Which of the following is generally classified as a 'less-lethal' weapon?
- Standard duty firearm
- Baton strike to the head or neck
- Conducted Energy Device (Taser) (Correct answer)
- Firearm loaded with standard ammunition
Correct answer: Conducted Energy Device (Taser)
Conducted Energy Devices (Tasers) are classified as less-lethal because they are designed to incapacitate without causing death, though they carry some risk.
Police Test Use of Force 1
What legal standard established by the U.S.
Supreme Court in Graham v.
Connor (1989) governs police use of force?