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Date: 06/20/17 Revision: 07/30/25 Reviewed: 07/30/25 HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF 'S OFFICE CHAD CHRONISTER, SHERIFF STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE Number: GEN 500.02 Page : 1 of 14 SUBJECT: USE OF LESS LETHAL AND PHYSICAL FORCE I. PURPOSE : The purpose of this standard operating procedure is to provide guidelines for the use of less-lethal force by sworn personnel of the Sheriff's Office. II. SCOPE : This procedure shall apply to all sworn personnel. III. DISCUSSION : In accordance with Sheriff 's Office standard operating procedures, State Law, and Federal Law, sworn personnel performing official duties shall comply with applicable law, and specifically Fourth Amendment standards, by using a level of force that is objectively reasonable in light of the surrounding facts and circumstances. Courts examine the factors announced by the U.S. Supreme Court in Graham v. Connor to determine whether the use of force was objectively reasonable. It will be the responsibility of each deputy involved in a use-of-force incident to ensure that a supervisor is immediately informed of the incident. If a subject is injured during the use of a restraint device, escort compliance, transporters, or takedowns for handcuffing purposes, it is the responsibility of each deputy involved to immediately inform a supervisor. IV. DEFINITION S: A. Chokehold - The intentional and prolonged application of force to the throat, windpipe, or airway of another person th at prevents the intake of air. The term does not include any hold involving contact with another person’s neck that is not intended to prevent the intake of air. B. Excessive Use of Force - A use of force that exceeds the degree of force permitted by law, policy, or the observing officer’s employing agency. C. G.L.O.V.E . (Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter) - A conductive distraction and de-escalation device that uses an electric charge and voltage to induce pain or involuntary muscle contractions to gain compliance. D. Taser Energy Weapon (TEW) - A Taser Energy Weapon, previously referred to as a Conducted Energy Weapon (CEW), is a Taser which uses less than lethal force utilizing energy to stun a target into compliance. E. Vascular Neck Restraint - Any use -of-force technique intended to gain control of a subject by restricting blood flow to the brain for the purpose of incapacitation. V. RESISTANCE AND RESPONSE LEVELS : A. Levels of Subject Resistance 1. Passive Resistance - A subject verbally or physically refuses to respond or comply with a deputy 's verbal commands. The subject does not make any attempt to physically defeat the deputy 's verbal commands or actions, but the subject 's actions may require the deputy to use physical force to establish control. GEN 500.02 07/30/25 Page 2 of 14 2. Active Physical Resistance - A subject makes physically evasive movements to defeat a deputy 's attempt to control the subject. This may be in the form of bracing or tensing, attempting to push or pull away, or by not allowing the deputy to get close to them. 3. Aggressive Physical Resistance - A subject exhibits overt, hostile, th reatening, or attacking movements, which may cause injury to themselves, the deputy , or others but are not likely to cause death or great bodily harm to themselves, the deputy , or others. B. Levels of Deputy Response 1. When the life of a deputy or others is not at risk, the following response levels are appropriate. a. Dialogue - Talking a subject into compliance, i.e., verbal commands with an emphasis on decreasing the intensity of a conflict. The goal of the deputy is to achieve compliance through the use of verbal commands. b. De-escalation - The process of defusing a tense situation using a combination of dialogue, empathy, and experience in order to gain compliance from a subject. When safe and under the totality of the circumstance s, deputies shall use de-escalation tactics in order to reduce the need for physical force. c. Physical Force - Force in excess of mere grabbing or touching of a subject. Physical force is achieving control or custody through the use of empty -hand or leverage -enhanced techniques, such as pain compliance, takedowns , and striking techniques. This term does not include escorting or handcuffing a subject when there is minimal or no resistance by the subject. d. Less -Lethal Force - Force that is not likely or intended to cause death or great bodily harm to a subject. e. Proportional Force - The degree of force reasonably necessary to effectively bring a subject and/or situation under control. Proportional force does not require deputies to use the same type or degree of force as the subject. VI. PROCEDURE : A. Dialogue/De -Escalation 1. Throughout a use -of-force incident, without compromising deputies ' objectives or safety , deputies will use dialogue and de-escalation techniques in an attempt to slow down and/or stabilize a situation to allow more time, options, and resources for incident resolution . De-escalation techniques include, but are not limited to: a. Mitigating the immediacy of the threat by containing or reducing exposure by the deputy moving to