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.
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 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
The officers were fired for excessive use of force, failure to intervene and failure to render aid stemming from an arrest during a traffic stop of a man who later died in a hospital
Lt. Caron Nazario sued the officers for claims of assault and battery, false imprisonment and illegal search during a 2020 traffic stop
This is a complicated area of law that deserves greater treatment in training curricula
In one of the officer-involved shootings, the chief said officers failed to call for a specially trained mental health team during an interaction with a man in crisis
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, all five Montgomery County Constable Offices and the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office will now be equipped with the BolaWrap 150
A review of use of force issues, including the carotid restraint and other force options that have been constrained or discontinued, plus innovations and options for the future
What’s the long-term impact of Armstrong v. Pinehurst? A study indicates some agencies reacted by altering policy in such a way that may have led to increased officer-involved shootings
“This officer resorted to using pepper spray during a confrontation with a civilian in a manner that was unnecessary and contrary to his training,” AG Matthew Platkin said
Understanding the causal factors behind officer performance is critical to informing police training
Take a deep dive into the hot button topics impacting policing nationwide with Policing Matters host Jim Dudley and his guest Janay Gasparini
The charges range from negligent homicide to malfeasance in the fatal arrest of Ronald Greene
The changes include centralizing the Crisis Intervention Team and equipping CIT officers with less lethal weapons such as Bolawraps
The bill will help PDs adopt de-escalation training when encountering individuals with mental health issues in an effort to reduce officer-involved fatalities
Experts review common issues that can cause problems not only for a patrol officer but all the way up the chain of command in an agency
“We did find that verbal antagonism was actually associated with a lower likelihood of force occurring during a police-civilian interaction.”
PD must abide by a 14-month injunction that requires LEOs to restrict their use of tear gas, less-lethal munitions, pepper spray and long-range acoustic devices
The exercise was designed to assess whether cadets recognize when to use nonlethal force; Timothy Rankine was the only recruit to shoot the virtual suspect
Raising a Monell claim is one way plaintiffs try to get at the purse of the government agency in the role as the officer’s employer, supervisor and policy-maker
A recent case highlights the importance of “clearly established” law at the time of law enforcement-civilian interactions
Departments are now required to produce public reports when officers are found to use excessive force, lie on the job or engage in other misconduct
Officials will review how the agency addresses misconduct complaints and discipline
To better inform policies regarding the training and use of VNRs by law enforcement, emergency medicine doctors published their latest research
How policy, training and tactics are evolving to address these volatile situations
“We think that the use of force remains reasonable after a suspect employs a weapon, has not surrendered, and thus remains dangerous.”
Investigators said the victim “didn’t have the apparent intent to harm” officers with the weapon
Due to the incident, former officer Nicholas Hanning was fired and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor third-degree assault
The appellate court held the law was sufficiently clear and that the officer “should have known he could not use deadly force on an unarmed man in a parked car.”
While consistent training can significantly improve outcomes, a flawless performance is improbable given the limits of human performance under stress
Earlier this month, a suspect ignored police commands, pulled a firearm and fired multiple rounds from close range toward officers
As part of his plea agreement, J. Alexander Kueng admitted he held Floyd down while handcuffed, knowing from his training this could create a substantial risk
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