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Mike Callahan

The Objectively Reasonable Officer

John Michael Callahan served in law enforcement for 44 years. His career began as a special agent with NCIS. He became an FBI agent and served in the FBI for 30 years, retiring in the position of supervisory special agent/chief division counsel. He taught criminal law/procedure at the FBI Academy. After the FBI, he served as a Massachusetts Deputy Inspector General and is currently a deputy sheriff for Plymouth County, Massachusetts. He is the author of two published books on deadly force and an upcoming book on supervisory and municipal liability in law enforcement.

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LATEST ARTICLES
Many federal judges are uninformed regarding the threat posed to officers by persons holding a firearm
Court authorizes warrantless entries into homes and seizures of persons and firearms when officers have objectively reasonable belief public safety is in jeopardy
What can we learn from the case of a Utah detective who was fired for mistakenly trying to compel warrantless blood draw? The Supreme Court provides the answers.
The number of past similar complaints lodged against an officer must be seen as a warning to superiors that the officer requires special supervision and remedial training
This case focused not only on the significant threat of danger faced by officers at the moment they resort to lethal force, but also on officer conduct directly leading up to the shooting
Failure to manage confidential criminal informants can lead to personal and municipal civil liability, and even criminal prosecution of officers
Case demonstrates what happens when police supervisors display indifference to their responsibility to train, supervise and discipline subordinate officers
Some federal circuit courts appear ready and willing to rule against officers and their municipalities when deadly force is used quickly in matters involving mentally ill subjects
Recruit and in-service training on ethical police practice must emphasize the many pitfalls of such conduct
After a man who viciously attacked his girlfriend died following a violent struggle with three officers, an excessive force lawsuit is brought against the officers