Police Test Use of Force 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: After any use of force incident, what should be an officer's FIRST priority?
- Completing the use of force report
- Notifying a supervisor
- Rendering medical aid to any injured persons (Correct answer)
- Securing the scene and collecting evidence
Correct answer: Rendering medical aid to any injured persons
Rendering medical aid to injured persons, including subjects, is the immediate priority following any use of force to preserve life.
Question 2: A subject in 'excited delirium' is significant in use of force situations because:
- They are typically cooperative with officers
- They may have an impaired pain response and an elevated risk of sudden cardiac death (Correct answer)
- They are easier to restrain physically
- They respond best to verbal commands only
Correct answer: They may have an impaired pain response and an elevated risk of sudden cardiac death
Subjects in excited delirium can have greatly impaired pain responses, extraordinary strength, and a heightened risk of sudden death during or after physical struggle.
Question 3: The 'reasonable officer' standard evaluates use of force from the perspective of:
- What the officer believed was justified after reflecting on the incident
- What a reasonable officer with the same training and information would have done on the scene (Correct answer)
- What department policy requires in all circumstances
- What a federal court considers appropriate
Correct answer: What a reasonable officer with the same training and information would have done on the scene
The standard is applied from the perspective of a reasonable officer present at the scene with the same knowledge, not with 20/20 hindsight.
Question 4: Positional asphyxia is a risk when a restrained subject is:
- Handcuffed with hands in front
- Placed face-down (prone) with weight applied to the back (Correct answer)
- Seated upright in the rear of a patrol car
- Standing against a wall during a search
Correct answer: Placed face-down (prone) with weight applied to the back
Placing a restrained subject prone with weight on the back can restrict chest expansion and diaphragm movement, potentially causing asphyxia.
Question 5: In use of force law, 'totality of the circumstances' means:
- An officer's complete disciplinary history
- All facts and circumstances known to the officer at the time of the incident (Correct answer)
- The number of officers and subjects involved
- Only the conduct occurring at the moment force was applied
Correct answer: All facts and circumstances known to the officer at the time of the incident
Courts examine all information available to the officer at the time of the decision, not just the final moment of contact, to assess reasonableness.
Question 6: A subject who is passively resisting (going limp, non-compliant but not threatening) typically warrants:
- Immediate application of deadly force
- No physical intervention under any circumstances
- Compliance techniques and the minimal force necessary to effect arrest (Correct answer)
- Immediate deployment of less-lethal weapons
Correct answer: Compliance techniques and the minimal force necessary to effect arrest
Passive resistance generally justifies only the minimal force necessary for compliance, such as joint locks or control holds, not higher levels of force.
Question 7: Before resorting to physical force, officers should first consider:
- The availability of backup units
- De-escalation and communication tactics (Correct answer)
- The suspect's prior arrest record
- Their proximity to the end of their shift
Correct answer: De-escalation and communication tactics
Best practice and most department policies require officers to attempt de-escalation and communication before using physical force when time and safety permit.
Police Test Use of Force 2
After any use of force incident, what should be an officer's FIRST priority?