Deadly Force

A police officer can use force to overcome resistance and to defend him or herself. The evolution of the use of force in the United States, and in particular deadly force, has been influenced by at least three factors. The first factor is the law. Most famously, the United States Supreme Court in Tennessee V Garner introduced the dual concepts of Necessary and Reasonable. The second factor has been technological change. In the arena of deadly force, police officers have access to more powerful weapons and weapons with high-capacity magazines. Additionally, a number of less-than-lethal options have been introduced in the last three decades. Lastly, changes in the law and the introduction of new weapons systems have led to a revolution in police training. In many instances and in addition to basic marksmanship training given at a firing range, police officers in the 21st Century are also trained via real-life “shoot-don’t-shoot” exercises and simulators. All of these factors have led to greater public and administrative expectations of police officers when they are faced with use of force situations.

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.) a international expert in police policy and practices will explore the various factors in the evolution of law enforcement’s use of deadly force.