Legal & Justifiable Use of Force

This course will focus on police officer use of force considerations in on-duty and off-duty scenarios. Practical use of force issues will be examined by viewing actual videos from live police use of force encounters and discussing the officer's decisions in those instances. The course will review U.S. Supreme Court cases, Federal Court decisions, Illinois statutes and case law, and what our courts specifically look for in police use of force situations. The course will also address use of force occurrences, ranging from crimes in progress to the use of force in medical emergencies.

The material will consider use of force from an officer's perspective: pre-assault indicators, force options that may be utilized, the use of intermediate weapons, permitted uses of force, prohibited uses of force, and the deadly use of force. Instruction will include proper documentation, Qualified Immunity, Garrity issues, and the Illinois Uniform Peace Officer's Disciplinary Act. The program will conclude with a discussion of the “10 Myths of Police Use of Force.”   

Instructor:  Jeffrey Pavletic