ACT 235 235 Defensive Tactics & Threat Assessment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Act 235 defensive tactics doctrine, what is the primary goal when a subject displays pre-attack indicators?
- Immediately draw your weapon
- Create distance and establish a reactionary gap (Correct answer)
- Issue a verbal warning and do nothing else
- Call for backup before taking any action
Correct answer: Create distance and establish a reactionary gap
Creating distance and maintaining a reactionary gap gives the officer time to respond to an attack and evaluate threat level before escalating force.
Question 2: Which behavioral cue is most commonly associated with an imminent physical attack?
- Prolonged eye contact with the officer
- Target glance toward the weapon the subject intends to use (Correct answer)
- Speaking loudly in a public setting
- Wearing a heavy coat in warm weather
Correct answer: Target glance toward the weapon the subject intends to use
A target glance — where a subject looks at a weapon or the officer's holster just before attacking — is a well-documented pre-attack indicator.
Question 3: When applying the Tueller Drill principle, an average person can close a 21-foot gap in approximately how many seconds?
- 5 seconds
- 3 seconds (Correct answer)
- 10 seconds
- 1 second
Correct answer: 3 seconds
The Tueller Drill demonstrates that an attacker can cover 21 feet in roughly 1.5 seconds, underscoring the danger posed by edged-weapon threats at close range.
Question 4: In threat assessment, the acronym JDLR stands for which concept relevant to officer awareness?
- Just Do Less Responding
- Just Doesn't Look Right (Correct answer)
- Justified Defense Lethal Response
- Joint Defense Level Review
Correct answer: Just Doesn't Look Right
JDLR ('Just Doesn't Look Right') refers to the trained officer's intuitive recognition that something in the environment is anomalous or threatening.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes a 'bladed stance' used in defensive tactics?
- Standing directly face-to-face with a subject
- Angling the body 45 degrees to present a smaller target and protect the weapon side (Correct answer)
- Crouching low to the ground during an encounter
- Keeping both hands raised above the head at all times
Correct answer: Angling the body 45 degrees to present a smaller target and protect the weapon side
A bladed stance positions the dominant (weapon) side rearward, reducing the target profile and protecting the holstered firearm from a grab attempt.
Question 6: Under Act 235 standards, verbal de-escalation should be attempted when:
- The subject is already physically attacking the officer
- Time and safety permit before force becomes necessary (Correct answer)
- The subject is armed with a firearm
- Only after a use-of-force incident has concluded
Correct answer: Time and safety permit before force becomes necessary
De-escalation is appropriate whenever time and safety allow, potentially resolving the situation without physical force.
Question 7: Which element is NOT part of the standard threat triangle used in threat assessment?
- Ability
- Opportunity
- Intent
- Proximity (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Proximity
The threat triangle consists of Ability, Opportunity, and Intent (AOI); proximity is a factor within 'opportunity' but is not a standalone element of the triangle.
ACT 235 235 Defensive Tactics & Threat Assessment 2
Under Act 235 defensive tactics doctrine, what is the primary goal when a subject displays pre-attack indicators?