Use of Force
The Use of Force topic provides news, information and training on one of the most commonly discussed areas in police training programs. Learn how to educate your community about use of force, the risks unarmed individuals pose and more.
From grappling to weapon retention, this year’s “What Cops Want” survey responses reveal what skills officers say are missing and how training programs can evolve
Incident highlights critical training points on vehicle stop strategy, force transitions, weapon cues and pursuit tactics
Understanding the protective protocols and legal standards that shaped agents’ response during a high-security DHS event
A judge sentenced the retired Mount Vernon police sergeant to six months in prison for tasing a man seven times in two minutes while he was handcuffed
Just 30 minutes after completing Axon’s VR TASER training, Lincoln PD Officer Alessandra Winterbauer used her TASER 10 to prevent a suicide-by-cop outcome
Cincinnati officer cleared in OIS of armed man; suspect’s father accused of using car to kill deputy
The fleeing suspect pointed a loaded gun at Cincinnatti PD officers during the incident, the county prosecutor stated; the next day, the suspect’s father fatally struck a deputy with his car
Accessed too early, the hand holding the handcuffs is useless until the arrestee is in a position of control
In dismissing the charges, U.S. District Judge Michael Brown said now-retired Sung Kim’s actions amounted to “textbook self-defense”
Det. Sgt. Brian Keely made a reasonable decision to try to block the fleeing man from entering a restaurant, even if the officer’s actions were risky, the judge stated
Court reaffirms Graham totality standard giving officers legal clarity
Dial testified he heard his partner yell “gun” and thought he saw a gun in Eddie Irizarry’s hand before the 2023 officer-involved shooting occurred
When officers responded to a domestic violence call at the wrong address, a man opened the door and pointed a gun at them; a judge ruled the threat against officers was imminent
HB202 rewrites Alabama’s police immunity law and adds new definitions for courts to determine whether an officer is justified in a use of force and immune from prosecution
“To assess whether an officer acted reasonably in using force, a court must consider all … facts and events leading up to the climactic moment,” the majority opinion stated
Two officers. Two gun grabs. Here’s what went wrong — and what you can learn
To bridge the gap between legal justification and public scrutiny, agencies must evolve how they train officers to perform under stress and assess threat cues in real time
The force used by officers against a man they mistakenly believed was a wanted suspect was justified due to his resistance during the arrest, a judge ruled
A jury took about 8 1/2 hours over two days to find Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith not guilty on all charges after a nine-day trial in state court in Memphis
Erik Hernandez was found guilty of manslaughter in the 2023 shooting death of Justin Reffel, who was attempting to flee from Hernandez and another officer in a vehicle
The Kim Potter case reignited concerns about “TASER confusion,” but with proper training and use, officers can reduce risk without abandoning one of law enforcement’s safest force options
Spark discussion in the training room or shift briefing with a quote from “The Art of War”
Court affirms that tactics used to disperse unruly crowd did not violate protesters’ constitutional rights, dismisses excessive force lawsuit and grants officers qualified immunity
“Someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder, even if he is forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow,” Rep. James DeSana said, citing the Catechism
Torrington Police Department Sgt. Gerald “Jay” Peters saw the suspect resisting officers by trying to hit them with his elbow and kicking them in the shins, according to the ruling
The 8th Circuit upheld officers’ use of force in Aden v. City of Bloomington, citing Graham factors and qualified immunity
Repeated incidents of weapon confusion point to deeper flaws in training, tactics and system design — and demand a shift in how we prepare for high-stress encounters
In Dimock v. City of Brooklyn Center, the court ruled warrantless entry and deadly force was lawful, citing exigent circumstances doctrine
Following a Ninth Circuit decision on use of force, one sheriff’s new policy has sparked debate over legal interpretation, responder safety and the future of crisis response models
A shirtless man with a chainsaw in a nursing home. A minute and 41 seconds of chaos. What would you have done and how long would it have taken you to decide?
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- Charges dropped against 2 officers accused of not trying to stop use of force in Christian Glass case
- On demand webinar: When de-escalation training fails: An insider’s look at why conventional de-escalation training is failing officers