Discretion and the Use of Force

TL;DR

Police have the right to use force when necessary, but excessive force is illegal and unethical. Efforts are being made to improve reporting and accountability.

Transcript

police have an uncontested right to use force when necessary to apprehend under subdue any suspect of a crime let's take a look at discretion in the use of force police have the right to use lethal force only if they believe that a suspect poses a threat to the officer or others when their use of force exceeds that which is reasonably necessary to ... Read More

Key Insights

• 😒 Police officers use force in a very small percentage of encounters with the public.
• 🇨🇫 Excessive force occurs in less than 1% of interactions with the public.
• 😒 A small number of officers are responsible for a disproportionate amount of use-of-force incidents.
• 😒 Prosecutions of officers for excessive use of force are extremely rare.
• 😒 The Department of Justice has become more aggressive in investigating patterns of problematic use of force.
• 🙃 Training emphasis on de-escalation techniques is being called for by some law enforcement officials.
• 👮 Efforts are being made to improve reporting and accountability for police shootings.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is considered excessive force, and why is it illegal?

Excessive force is when police use more force than is reasonably necessary to accomplish their lawful purpose. It is illegal because it violates Supreme Court rulings and is considered unethical.

Q: Are police shootings increasing or decreasing?

The number of individuals killed by police has been increasing, but this does not necessarily mean excessive force is being used more frequently. Better statistics are being pursued to understand the trend better.

Q: Do all police officers use force in the same way?

Research suggests that a small percentage of officers are responsible for a disproportionate number of use-of-force incidents. This indicates that not all officers use force in the same manner.

Q: Why are civil suits more likely to be successful than criminal prosecutions against officers?

Civil suits have a lower burden of proof compared to criminal prosecutions, making it easier to show legal liability. Additionally, cities often choose to settle civil suits rather than go to trial.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Police officers have the right to use force, including lethal force, if they believe a suspect poses a threat to themselves or others.

• Excessive use of force is considered unethical and illegal, and is defined as force that exceeds what is reasonably necessary to accomplish a lawful purpose.

• The number of individuals killed by police has been increasing, but instances of excessive force are relatively rare.