DCJS Use of Force Principles 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under Virginia law, which standard is used to evaluate whether an officer's use of force was justified?
- Subjective belief of the officer alone
- Objective reasonableness from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene (Correct answer)
- Whether the suspect was ultimately found guilty
- Whether the officer followed department policy exactly
Correct answer: Objective reasonableness from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene
Courts apply an objective reasonableness standard, viewing the situation from the perspective of a reasonable officer at the scene without the benefit of hindsight.
Question 2: Which of the following is NOT one of the Graham v. Connor factors used to assess use of force?
- Severity of the crime at issue
- Whether the suspect posed an immediate threat
- Whether the suspect was actively resisting or attempting to evade arrest
- The suspect's prior criminal history known before the encounter (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The suspect's prior criminal history known before the encounter
Graham v. Connor identifies three primary factors: crime severity, immediate threat, and active resistance/flight — prior criminal history alone is not a Graham factor.
Question 3: An officer uses deadly force against a fleeing felon. Under Tennessee v. Garner, this is constitutionally permissible ONLY if:
- Any felony suspect attempts to flee
- The officer has a hunch the suspect committed a violent crime
- The officer has probable cause to believe the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical harm to others (Correct answer)
- The suspect refuses all verbal commands before fleeing
Correct answer: The officer has probable cause to believe the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical harm to others
Tennessee v. Garner (1985) held that deadly force against a fleeing felon is only justified when the officer has probable cause to believe the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious injury.
Question 4: A subject is passively resisting by going limp and refusing to walk. The appropriate level of force is generally:
- Deadly force, as the officer's authority is being challenged
- Hard empty-hand control techniques immediately
- Soft empty-hand control and compliant escort techniques (Correct answer)
- No force is permitted until the subject becomes violent
Correct answer: Soft empty-hand control and compliant escort techniques
Passive resistance warrants only the level of force necessary to overcome it, typically soft empty-hand techniques such as guiding or escort holds.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of de-escalation techniques in use-of-force encounters?
- To allow suspects to escape while paperwork is completed
- To reduce the need for or level of force by stabilizing the situation (Correct answer)
- To transfer responsibility for force decisions to dispatch
- To delay arrest until backup arrives in all circumstances
Correct answer: To reduce the need for or level of force by stabilizing the situation
De-escalation aims to stabilize volatile situations through communication and tactical repositioning, potentially eliminating the need for force entirely.
Question 6: Virginia's DCJS standards require officers to use force that is:
- Maximum force to ensure officer safety in every encounter
- Proportional to the threat and the minimum necessary to accomplish the lawful objective (Correct answer)
- Equal to the force used by the subject regardless of officer training
- Approved in advance by a supervisor for each type of incident
Correct answer: Proportional to the threat and the minimum necessary to accomplish the lawful objective
DCJS standards mandate that force be proportional to the threat level and limited to what is reasonably necessary to achieve the lawful law enforcement objective.
Question 7: After any use of force, a Virginia law enforcement officer is required to:
- Immediately leave the scene to file the report remotely
- Document the incident and notify a supervisor as required by agency policy (Correct answer)
- Only report the incident if the subject is hospitalized
- Wait 72 hours before submitting any documentation
Correct answer: Document the incident and notify a supervisor as required by agency policy
Officers must document use-of-force incidents and notify a supervisor consistent with agency policy, ensuring accountability and review.
DCJS Use of Force Principles 2
Under Virginia law, which standard is used to evaluate whether an officer's use of force was justified?