Policy Text
I. USE OF DEADLY FORCE
A. General: Police officers will use only the force needed to effect lawful objectives. Officers may use deadly
force if they reasonably believe a person is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm to themselves
or others. This policy applies with equal effect to juveniles. Officers will be held to those standards as
enumerated in FSS 776. Circumstances permitting and when reasonably practical, officer shall identify
themselves as law enforcement officers and give verbal warning of their intent to use deadly force. [CFA 4.01]
B. Fleeing Felons: Deadly force may only be used to prevent the escape of a fleeing felon suspected of
committing a forcible felony as enumerated in FSS 776.08, and only when officers have a reasonable belief a
suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to officers and/or others.
1. Example: If a suspect threatens an officer with a deadly weapon or there is a reasonable belief a
suspect committed a crime involving infliction or threatened infliction of serious physical harm, deadly
force may be used if needed to prevent escape and, when feasible, some warning has been given.
Additional examples of Deadly Force Resistance include a subject who refuses to drop a knife when
ordered by an officer to do so and moves toward the officer; or a subject who shoots or points a firearm
at an officer or other person.