Deadly Use Of Force

There has been two shooting of deadly force as I know of in our local department. I live in the city of Humboldt tn.There has been two incident after 2008. A person would not think it would have happen in such a small town, but it has been (Police officers charged in fatal shootings while on duty, 2016).

By the late 1800s, police officers were issued firearms to counteract the better equipped criminal. In recent years, there have been resurgences in the importance of non-lethal and less-than-lethal weapons for law enforcement use. However, the devices in use today are worlds away from in terms of technology compared to what their police forefathers used. Generally, the use of force by law enforcement officers is permitted and often necessary under certain circumstances, such as in self-defense or in the defense of another individual or group.

In our research study we hope to show that the goal to Tasers it to provide law enforcement with alternatives to deadly force in order to minimize harm to both community members and police. We also want to show that no use of devices or techniques may be safe to everyone, but that we can't look just

Law enforcement officers are given much power and authority over one’s civil liberties. Not only do they have a duty but also a responsibility to enforce laws and ordinances in their jurisdiction, maintain order and protect its people. In some cases, the only way to accomplish this is through legitimized use of force. Use of force can best be described as "the amount of effort required by a law enforcement officer to induce compliance of an unwilling subject" (nij.gov, 2012). With that said, law enforcement officers have been given the right to apply only enough force necessary to control a situation, while defending others, preventing escape, during self-defense and while a subject is resisting arrest (Pollock, pp. 234). It is not until that force becomes excessive that it becomes say an issue.

The use of deadly force by police officers is a very important subject in today’s society. Many consider the use of deadly force excessive in most cases. However, there are many aspects to look at when considering this topic, such as: Why was deadly force required? When did the officer feel it necessary to apply deadly force? What will be the implications for the officer after the fact? How does the use of deadly force affect society as a whole?

In light of the recent spate of police-involved homicides of suspects who may or may not have put the lives of the police involved in fear for their safety and well-being, this paper seeks to examine the use of deadly force by police officers in the line of duty. The training involved in using one’s service weapon in situations that call for a determination of the use of force will be explored, as will the rules, regulations, and extenuating circumstances that lead to the firing of a service weapon in the line of duty, resulting in the death of a suspect. The Supreme Court cases that have led to and/or upheld laws allowing a broader interpretation of what is considered justifiable use of deadly force will be briefly examined. Additionally, the use of non-lethal weapons, such as Tasers, by police forces and how the availability of these weapons influences the rate of deadly force will be inspected. Finally, an elucidation of the various perceptions of the general public of the police after use of deadly force is used within their communities will be addressed.

The purpose is to explain the necessity and the alternatives to deadly force. Necessity of deadly force will include laws that have been passed by the United States Supreme Court, training methods and policies of Federal, State and Local agencies Alternatives to deadly force are less-lethal weapons that are used by law enforcement today, TASERS, pepper spray, bean bag guns and batons. Does deadly force need to be used against violent suspects?

In 2009 the death of Antonio Galeano, a Queensland man with a mental health condition sparked a joint review by the Crime Misconduct Commission and the Queensland Police of Taser Policy and training. The review was concerned with many aspects of Taser use especially with the over use of Tasers by the Queensland Police against those with an underlying mental health condition and those under the influence of drug and/or alcohol. Although the report has successfully implemented 24 recommendations a further assessment was conducted by the Crime Misconduct and Commission in 2011. It released an independent review of the Queensland Police Services policies and practices, where it found that a number of key concerns remained. These key concerns were related to the over use of Tasers and especially the use of Tasers upon those who are believed to have a mental health condition and/ or are believed to under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The following will provide a discussing of the introduction and development of the Queensland Police Service Taser police, where it will reflect upon these concerns regarding these ‘at risk’ groups.

This use of force matrix utilizes a graded approach whereas an officer will use only the force necessary to exercise and arrest. Law enforcement officers may use that amount of force necessary to effect the lawful purpose intended, provided that no reasonably effective alternative to the use of force appears to exist at the time the force is used. The privilege to use force is not limited to the amount of force necessary to protect themselves or others, but extends to that amount reasonably necessary to enable officers to effect the arrest or otherwise neutralize the resistance of a subject. If a suspect refuses to be arrested the officer will have to utilize a higher level of force dependent upon the suspects actions. For example, if a suspect is resisting arrest, the officer may use a taser or other force methods to arrest the individual. An officer cannot simple resort to higher levels of force without proper justification. Officers must utilize only the force which is necessary and justified. There are times when an armed suspect may prompt an officer to use the highest level of force, deadly force, if he feels him or another person’s life is in jeopardy. The result of not going utilizing his weapon on this use of force scenario could mean death to the officer or the public.

“ The taser is a conducted-energy device which fires a cartridge with two wires and attached hooks and shoot an electric charge into the suspect (White2007).” A taser is used by trained law enforcement officers to subdue or contain an individual who isn’t cooperating or resisting. Many people think tasers are unlawful or unconstitutional and some think we need tasers in law enforcement. I will analyze/argue the advantages and disadvantages of using tasers in law enforcement.

Unlike many other weapons, officers can be trained using tasers in a safer way. They are easy to learn how to use, they don’t require a specific license that must be renewed every so often, and if an accident occurs, the chances of a severe accident occurring are diminished. Also, officers will have the ability to be tased by one another. While it would be painful, they would have the ability to be more aware of the consequences of using the taser, therefore resulting in the officers being more conscientious of their actions. Both reasons show how being trained with tasers is more effective, and why officers should be allowed to use

“Deadly force is a force that, when used, would lead a reasonable officer objectively to conclude that it poses a high risk of death or serious injury to its target (p.266). The only justifiable means for an officer to use deadly force is in self-defense or when protecting the lives of others. Deadly force can be used in order to prevent an individual from escaping only if the officer has probable cause to believe that the individual poses a significant threat of death to the officer or another individual. However the “feeing felon” rule that allows officers to shoot individuals attempting to escape is no longer permissible. The use of deadly force on a suspect fleeing is only acceptable if the officer believes the suspect poses a significant

The use of excessive force by police officers is a topic that continues to make headlines and a study that needs to be done. Although much research has gone into this topic there still is no consensus on why the use of excessive force occurs. Some studies suggest lack of training and/or problems with organization policy/procedures. Law enforcement officers are authorized to use force when necessary, but when the level of force is excessive, however, the actions of the police come under scrutiny. The resulting effects can include; public outrage, scandal, negative reputation for not only the officer but the law enforcement community, and criminal considerations. Although there’s is no concrete definition of excessive force, police

This journal article discusses data on various types of less then lethal use of force weapon systems and the effect they have on the suspect and the officer who was forced to use it. It examines the future of police action and new advances in suspect restraint systems (Albert, 1999).

This proves that taser is an effective non-lethal weapon that can be used to subdue the criminals. Here are some possible advantages of taser guns, first, taser is a non-lethal weapon. As we may have already know, tasers are meant to take down the suspects without injuring or killing them. Also, it is safer to use in a situations where there are many bystanders in the scene, since tasers do not harm people around the intended suspects. This also leads to the second point of avoiding the usage of lethal weapons. So far, 1689 people have been killed by the police in a crime related actions (May, T. 2014). By promoting the usage of tasers, police officers around the world can lower the number of suspects being killed in the scene. Using the lethal weapon also dangers the suspects, police, and the bystanders, because firearms are a lethal weapon that can take away lives easily. Tasers also requires minimal training to use the functions, which also makes the officers and other security related people to easily use tasers in action. On the other hand, typical fire arms requires more training time to properly use them in order to avoid any accidents with it. Fourthly, by using taser, the injury rates dropped significantly. Taser have been used within law enforcement agencies from 1998, and from that time, according to the Taser International, taser helped lower injuries among officers and