Police use of force

Police use of force is physical force used by law-enforcement officers to control, restrain, or overcome resistance. Its legality and justification depend on circumstances, governing law, and agency policy.

Use-of-force continuum: A framework that classifies force options by their intensity and the subject’s behavior. It models how policies link perceived resistance to permitted force levels.
Reasonable suspicion: A fact-based basis for suspecting a person is involved in criminal activity. It can authorize an investigative stop, but does not itself justify force.
Physical restraint: Techniques that restrict a person’s movement through bodily control or restraint devices. Restraint is a common form of force whose safety depends on positioning and duration.
Graham v. Connor: A 1989 U.S. Supreme Court decision establishing an objective-reasonableness standard for many excessive-force claims. It supplies the leading federal constitutional test for force during seizures.
Police brutality: The use of excessive or abusive force by police, often understood as a pattern or practice. It describes force-related abuse and broader patterns that individual incident reviews may miss.
De-escalation: Communication and tactical measures intended to reduce conflict and avoid force. It offers officers ways to lower danger before force becomes necessary.
Probable cause: A reasonable basis, grounded in facts, to believe a crime occurred or evidence exists. It supports arrests, while the force used to make one requires separate justification.
Police use of firearms: The discharge or threatened use of a firearm by a law-enforcement officer. Firearm force carries especially serious risks and receives distinct legal scrutiny.
Tennessee v. Garner: A 1985 U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting police use of deadly force against fleeing suspects. It sets a distinct constitutional boundary for deadly force in flight cases.
Police misconduct: Conduct by police that violates law, professional duties, or agency rules. Unlawful or abusive force is one form of misconduct subject to discipline or legal action.

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