DCJS Firearms Training & Use of Force Techniques 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The concept of 'disparity of force' in a use-of-force analysis refers to:
- An officer outnumbering a suspect with other officers present
- A situation where a size, strength, age, or skill difference makes an unarmed subject capable of causing serious bodily injury (Correct answer)
- The officer using a higher-level weapon than the subject possesses
- The difference between agency policy and state law on force levels
Correct answer: A situation where a size, strength, age, or skill difference makes an unarmed subject capable of causing serious bodily injury
Disparity of force exists when physical differences (size, strength, fighting skill, numbers) give an unarmed subject the ability to inflict serious bodily injury, potentially justifying a higher force response.
Question 2: What does DCJS require regarding the use of chokeholds or lateral vascular neck restraints (LVNR) by Virginia law enforcement officers?
- They are approved tools at all resistance levels
- Their use is restricted or prohibited except when deadly force is authorized, depending on agency policy and Virginia law (Correct answer)
- They require advanced instructor certification but are otherwise unrestricted
- They are approved only for corrections officers, not patrol officers
Correct answer: Their use is restricted or prohibited except when deadly force is authorized, depending on agency policy and Virginia law
Virginia law and DCJS guidance have significantly restricted neck restraints — most agencies prohibit them except in deadly force situations, reflecting legislative changes post-2020.
Question 3: An officer fires two rounds at a subject who then falls. The officer should next:
- Immediately holster and begin rendering first aid
- Assess the threat status, scan for additional threats, and issue commands before approaching (Correct answer)
- Reload the firearm and approach the subject with it holstered
- Call dispatch before taking any further action
Correct answer: Assess the threat status, scan for additional threats, and issue commands before approaching
After firing, officers are trained to assess whether the threat is neutralized, scan for additional threats, and issue verbal commands before closing distance on the subject.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'excited delirium syndrome' and its significance during use-of-force encounters?
- A legal defense available to subjects who claim they were unaware of their actions
- A medical emergency characterized by extreme agitation, elevated body temperature, and superhuman strength that increases in-custody death risk (Correct answer)
- A training scenario simulating an armed subject in a crowd
- A term for an officer's heightened alertness during a critical incident
Correct answer: A medical emergency characterized by extreme agitation, elevated body temperature, and superhuman strength that increases in-custody death risk
Excited delirium is a recognized medical emergency involving extreme agitation, hyperthermia, and apparent insensitivity to pain, creating elevated risk of cardiac arrest and in-custody death.
Question 5: When conducting vehicle stops at night, where should the officer position their flashlight beam relative to a subject who may be armed?
- Aimed at the ground between the officer and subject to avoid blinding
- At the subject's hands and waistband — the areas most likely to produce a weapon (Correct answer)
- At the subject's face to identify them and deter aggression
- Held low at the officer's side to preserve the officer's own night vision
Correct answer: At the subject's hands and waistband — the areas most likely to produce a weapon
During a potentially dangerous contact, the officer should illuminate the subject's hands and waistband because weapons are produced from those areas.
Question 6: What does the term 'administrative handling' refer to in firearms safety?
- Documenting the firearm in the agency property management system
- The deliberate, slow, and careful manipulation of a firearm for loading, unloading, or inspection in a controlled environment (Correct answer)
- Transferring a firearm between officers during a shift change
- The process of entering a firearm into the evidence system
Correct answer: The deliberate, slow, and careful manipulation of a firearm for loading, unloading, or inspection in a controlled environment
Administrative handling refers to the intentional, careful, and slow manipulation of a firearm — such as loading, unloading, or clearing — performed in a controlled, low-stress environment.
Question 7: Which factor most directly distinguishes 'active resistance' from 'assaultive behavior' on a use-of-force continuum?
- Active resistance involves a subject making threatening statements; assaultive behavior involves weapons only
- Active resistance involves a subject physically preventing control without attacking; assaultive behavior involves actions likely to cause bodily harm to the officer (Correct answer)
- Active resistance always requires OC spray; assaultive behavior always requires a Taser
- Active resistance applies only to fleeing subjects; assaultive behavior applies only to stationary subjects
Correct answer: Active resistance involves a subject physically preventing control without attacking; assaultive behavior involves actions likely to cause bodily harm to the officer
Active resistance is physical non-compliance that prevents the officer from gaining control but does not constitute an attack, while assaultive behavior involves actions that are likely to result in bodily injury to the officer.
DCJS Firearms Training & Use of Force Techniques 5
The concept of 'disparity of force' in a use-of-force analysis refers to: