Use of Force Encounter & Non Lethal Weapons or Ammunition Questions

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Every day when a police officer signs on for duty, there is a chance for a use of force encounter. Use of force can be necessary to ensure that an aggressive offender complies with the officer’s commands during an arrest. The officer can choose between different non-lethal weapons such as the bat on, pepper spray, non-lethal ammunition, and/or a taser. However, if the offender has a weapon, the officer is allowed to use deadly force with his firearm.

Every time, the officer is involved in an use of force incident, internal affairs investigations will be performed to ensure that the officer did not perform excessive force. A use of force matrix and department policies ensures that the officer uses the force necessary to detain the suspect.

Write a four to five page assignment presenting a case study of an officer involved use of force case. Answer the following questions:

  • Was the applied force necessary to detail the offender?
  • Did the officer use excessive force?
  • What could the officer have done to avoid the confrontation?
  • In your opinion, are the officer’s actions ethical or not?