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.
Court rules that the deputy acted reasonably when fatally shooting wounded prone suspect who fled after shooting another officer
How law enforcement officers can navigate the challenges of responding to residents armed with weapons — and avoid escalating tense situations
New York City Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt’s words resonate for law enforcement today as much as they did a century ago
“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
Video shows police restrain the suspect, who appeared to be holding a pair of swords
The man reportedly severed his finger when an officer shot him with a less-lethal projectile
Police Superintendent David Brown contested the findings, saying the shooting did not violate department use-of-force policies
Police were in a hourslong standoff with the man before shots were fired, after his mother called 911 to report he was vandalizing a vehicle
Bob Scales, who previously served as the compliance coordinator for Seattle PD, discusses what happens when a police agency is placed under a consent decree
The pursuit began when the suspect was identified by police driving a stolen vehicle in the parking lot of a local Walmart
Police offered to transport the suspect to a local hospital just before he lunged toward an officer with a knife
