Policy Text
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MJ/RCCC
OPERATIONS ORDER
Use of Force
The purpose of this Order is to provide policy and procedures f or the Use of Force at
the Main Jail and the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center (RCCC).
I. Policy
Custody staff shall comply with General Order 2/11 (Use of Forc e Policy) regarding the
use of force. This policy is to be used in conjunction with, bu t does not supersede,
General Order 2/11. Officers shall use only that for ce which is reasonable, given t he facts and circumstances
perceived by the officer at the time of the event, to effective ly bring an incident under
control. The reasonableness of the force used must be judged f rom the perspective of
a reasonable officer on the sc ene at the time of the incident.
The application of force shall ce ase when control of a prisoner or situation is achieved
and shall not be used as a form o f punishment. The objective i n applying reasonable
force is to control persons and incidents thereby minimizing in jury to all persons
involved. II. Alternative Resolutions in L ieu of Force/De-escalation
A. Staff should be cognizant of the unique environment in a cor rectional
setting. Each situation shall be evaluated to determine the ur gency of
enforcement action. In situati ons where an immediate response may
escalate or aggravate the situat ion, officers should consider t he
containment of the event as a tactic.
B. Further, staff shall appropriate ly de-escalate the level of force in response
to the suspect’s level of complia nce. Possible alternative res olutions in
lieu of the application of force include:
1. Containment of the situation 2. Shutting off utilities (Water, Electricity) 3. Negotiation 4. Waiting situation out until su spect(s) voluntarily comply
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MJ/RCCC III. Authorizati on and Deployment of Tactical Weapons
A. With the exception of OC spr ay and Tasers, all tactical weap ons
(37mm/40mm Launchers, Pepperball, S ting Ball devices, Flashbang
devices, or similar combustible- fueled devices) are to be deplo yed and
used only with the prior approval of the shift Watch Commander, or in a
bona fide emergency situation such as a riot, attempt escape, h ostage
taking, or other exigent circums tance in accordance with Operat ions Order
2-04-Weapons, Tactical Weapons, and Specialized Equipment.
1. Deployment shall be defined as removal of the weapon and/or
device from its place of storage, with the exception of removal for
purpose of routine inspection, tr aining, maintenance, or invent ory.
2. Tactical Weapons are defi ned as weapons, devices, tools, and
other instruments used by officers to assist in gaining the compliance of non-compliant, ass aultive, or self-injurious
individuals in situations where the application of force is dee med
necessary to bring a reso lution to the incident.
IV. Recording, Reporting and Documentation
A. Officers shall make every atte mpt to video record the suspec t’s actions
prior to a planned application o f force. Officers shall endeav or to record
the specific actions, behavior, o r threats used to justify the use of force.
Staff shall also endeavor to recor d any staff member’s directio ns and
requests for compliance. The vi deo recording will be logged an d stored in
the video library for th irty-six (36) months.
B. Any use of force which resu lts in an apparent or reported in jury shall be
documented utilizing the Automat ed Field Reporting (AFR) system on a
crime/arrest report, a casualty report, a 5150 report, or an in formation
report – whichever is applicable.
1. In no circumstance will a st and-alone supplemental report be
sufficient to document a use of force.
C. Any Application of Force or Use of Deadly Force , as described in sections
II.B and II.C of Appendix A of Ge neral Order 2/11, against any person by
an employee of this Department ( sworn or non-sworn) shall be
documented utilizing an AFR inci dent report which may include, but is not
limited to, a crime/arrest report, a casualty report, a 5150 re port, or an
information report. 1. Exception- AFR documentation is not required for the use of
control/compliance holds, handcuffs, shackles, or other restrai nt
devices when used to restrain per sons for security or transport ation
purposes unless the application resulted in an apparent or repo rted
injury.
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MJ/RCCC
2. In instances where officers u sed firearms, Electronic Contro l
Devices, and/or 40mm type l aunchers, a Weapons Discharge Form
shall be completed no lat er than the end of watch.
3. In no circumstance will a st and-alone supplemental report be
sufficient to document a use of forc e, an Application of Force, or
Use of Deadly Force.
D. The use of control holds on re sistive, combative