SHERIFF Study Guide 2026

Maryland v. Buie (1990) authorized a protective sweep—a cursory visual inspection of areas where persons could be found who might attack officers—as a limited exception incident to an in-home arrest.

To conduct a lawful arrest, a Deputy Sheriff must meet the legal standard of probable cause. Probable cause means there are sufficient facts and circumstances to believe that a crime has been committed and that the person to be arrested committed it. This standard is higher than reasonable suspicion but less than absolute certainty.

The knock-and-announce rule requires officers to identify themselves, state their purpose, and allow a reasonable time for response before making a forced entry, protecting against startled reactions and unnecessary property damage.

Plain view requires that the officer be lawfully in the position to observe the item and that its incriminating character be immediately apparent, without further searching.

The use of force continuum is a framework to help officers assess a situation and select a reasonable level of force. Its main goal is to achieve control and compliance from a subject, not to punish them. The model emphasizes that officers should use only the amount of force necessary to mitigate a threat and gain control.

The landmark case Graham v. Connor established the 'objective reasonableness' standard. This means that the use of force is judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, considering the totality of the circumstances at that moment, rather than with 20/20 hindsight.