The use of force is justified by police in order to compel compliance by an unwilling subject in order to make an arrest, or protect themselves or others from harm. The use of force escalates from officer presence requiring no force, basic verbal commands, Empty-Hand Control and physical restraint, and less than lethal methods with a last resort of lethal force. Every situation is different and every officer’s level of training and experience differs so the level of force an officer may use varies. An officer’s job is to control a situation in order to protect the community with the use of force used only when it is required to do so. As with any situation circumstances can change in seconds and could require a higher use of force at any time.
