ASO Use of Force Continuum 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a subject displays passive resistance by sitting down and refusing to move, which level of force is typically appropriate?
- Deadly force
- Hard empty-hand control
- Soft empty-hand control (Correct answer)
- Intermediate weapons
Correct answer: Soft empty-hand control
Passive resistance calls for soft empty-hand control techniques such as guiding or escorting, not aggressive or weapons-based responses.
Question 2: An officer switches from verbal commands to drawing a firearm without any intermediate steps. This is best described as:
- Reasonable escalation
- Skipping levels of the continuum (Correct answer)
- Proper de-escalation
- Legal use of force
Correct answer: Skipping levels of the continuum
Jumping from verbal commands directly to deadly force without intermediate steps violates the principle of proportional escalation.
Question 3: Which factor most directly justifies moving to a higher level of force?
- The officer's personal discomfort
- The subject's increased threat level (Correct answer)
- Company policy preference
- Time of day
Correct answer: The subject's increased threat level
Escalation within the use-of-force continuum is driven by an increase in the subject's threat or resistance level.
Question 4: A subject verbally threatens an officer but has made no physical movement. The officer should first:
- Deploy pepper spray immediately
- Draw and point a firearm
- Issue verbal commands and assess (Correct answer)
- Apply a choke hold
Correct answer: Issue verbal commands and assess
A verbal threat alone typically warrants heightened awareness and verbal commands before escalating to physical or weapon-based force.
Question 5: The 'objectively reasonable' standard for use of force in the U.S. comes from which Supreme Court case?
- Tennessee v. Garner
- Graham v. Connor (Correct answer)
- Terry v. Ohio
- Miranda v. Arizona
Correct answer: Graham v. Connor
Graham v. Connor (1989) established that force must be objectively reasonable based on the facts known at the moment, not judged with 20/20 hindsight.
Question 6: After a subject stops resisting, the security officer should:
- Maintain maximum force level until backup arrives
- De-escalate and reassess the threat (Correct answer)
- Immediately apply handcuffs regardless
- Discharge their firearm as a deterrent
Correct answer: De-escalate and reassess the threat
When resistance ceases, the officer must de-escalate proportionally; continuing force after compliance may constitute excessive force.
Question 7: Which term describes the practice of communicating expectations clearly to gain voluntary compliance before physical intervention?
- Hard control
- Officer presence plus verbalization (Correct answer)
- Lethal escalation
- Preemptive force
Correct answer: Officer presence plus verbalization
Officer presence combined with clear verbal commands is the standard first step in the use-of-force continuum to gain compliance without physical contact.
ASO Use of Force Continuum 2
When a subject displays passive resistance by sitting down and refusing to move, which level of force is typically appropriate?