ii-42UseOfForce

Revisions or additions are highlighted 1 (08/16/2024 ) ST. PETERSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER Subject: USE OF FORCE Index as: Active Resistance Firearms Reporting Discharge of a Firearm Aerosol Subject Restraint (ASR) Fire for Effect Safety and Security of Firearms Aggressive Resistance Force Guidelines Serious Bodily Injury ASP Force, Use of Taser Energy Weapon ASR Great Bodily Harm Totality of Circumstances Blue Team IA Pro Use of Force Reporting Use of Firearms Certified Reserve Officer Injury Use of Force Choke Holds Less -lethal Force Use of Force Reporting Deadly Force Medical Response Vascular Neck Restriction (VNR) Deadly Force Resi stance Non-deadly Force Vehicular Force De-escalation Objective Reasonableness Verbal Warning Discharge of Firearms Passive Resistance Violent Felony Disengagement Pepperball Projectile System VNR Escalation Physical Control Weapons, Use of Accreditation Standards: 4.1.1, 4.1.2, 4.1.3, 4.1.4, 4.1.5, 4.1.6, 4.1.7, 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.4, 4.2.5 , 4.3.1, 4.3.4, 35.1.9, 41.2.3 , CFA 4.01, 4.02 , 4.04, 4.07, 4.08, 4.10 Cross Reference: G.O. II -02 Motor Vehicle Crash Review Process G.O. III -10 Transporting and Booking Detainees G.O. III -15, High Risk Situations G.O. III -17, Pursuit of a Vehicle or Boat G.O. II -20, Weapons Qualifications G.O. II -43, Lethal and Less -Lethal Weapons G.O. II -44, Taser Energy Weapon G.O. III -23, Incident Reports G.O. III -42, Discharge of a Firearm, Police Action Death or Serious Bodily Injury Invest. I.O. V.5:20, Employee Support Services §394.463(d), §776.012, .05, .06, §790.01, .052, .053, 174 and §943.10(6), F lorida Statutes Replaces : G.O. II -42, Use of Force ( April 29, 2024 ) Prior to being authorized to carry any weapon or assigned any duties which require the possession of a weapon, agency personnel will be issued a copy of, and receive training on, General Order II -42, Use of Force , be instructed about state law and Department policies regarding the use of authorized weapons, and demonstrate proficiency. This Order consist s of the following sections: I. Policy II. Definitions III. Force Guidelines IV. Legal Considerations V. Authori zed Use of Force VI. Unauthorized Use of Force DATE OF ISSUE EFFECTIVE DATE NUMBER April 2016 Immediately II-42 Distribution: All Employees General Order II -42 Revisions or additions are highlighted 2 (08/16/2024 ) VII. Medical Response VIII. Investigating the Use of Deadly Force IX. Use of Force Reports I. POLICY A. It is recognized that officer s may encounter situations where force may be necessary to overcome resistance in order to achieve a specific law enforcement objective. The force applied by an officer in any situation may range from verbal direction to the use of deadly force, if confron ted with a situation where the officer or some other person is threatened with serious physical injury or death. B. Officers will utilize all less -lethal weapons and firearms in the manner consistent with their training. C. It is the policy of the St. Petersbu rg Police Department that the use of force in any situation will follow applicable laws and is limited to the force which is needed to halt aggressive actions and/or to overcome specific resistance by the subject in order to accomplish a lawful objective. D. It is the policy of the St. Petersburg Police Department that de -escalation is the preferred, tactically sound approach in many critical incidents and used whenever possible. E. It is also the policy of the St. Petersburg Police Department that officer s will exhaust all other reasonable means of apprehension, or defense of themselves or another, before resorting to the use of deadly force. F. The Department recognizes that bullets d o not immobilize moving motor vehicles. Incapacitating drivers of motor vehicles does not necessarily eliminate the threat or danger posed by the moving motor vehicle. G. The possession and/or handling of firearms by employees of this Department are a regula r part of t he duties of a police officer and a small number of civilian employees; i.e., the armorer, forensic technicians and property clerks. Firearms are inherently dangerous devices which require extra caution to ensure they are handled safely, and access to them is strictly controlled. H. It is the policy of the St. Petersburg Police Department that all approved firearms, owned by, or in the possession of, employees are inspected, and approved by a qualified firearms instructor or armorer, prior to carrying . I.