Policy Text
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ZEPHYRHILLS POLICE DEPARTMENT
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE
Standard Operating Procedure: 02.01
Subject: Use of Force
Effective Date: April 12 , 202 4
Scope: All
Rescinds:
Revised: April 5, 2024
Reviewed: April 5, 2024
Pages: 11
CONTENTS: This procedure consists of the following numbered sections:
I. Definitions
II. Authorized Use of Force
III. Use of Force Reporting
IV. Use of Force Training
V. Administrative Relief From Duty (Non -disciplinary)
VI. Use of Force in Non -Violent Civil Rights Demonstration s
VII. Authorized Weapons and Use of Restraint Devices
VIII. Use of Force/Levels of Resistance Guidelines
IX. Weapons of Opportunity
X. De-escalation Techniques
XI. Officer’s Duty to Intervene
XII. Medical Assistance
PURPOSE: The purpose of this standard operating procedure is to provide police officers with
guidelines on the use of deadly (lethal) and non -deadly (less -lethal force).
POLICY: Florida State Statute 776 governs when force may be used by both civilian and law
enforcement personnel. It is extremely important for all personnel to know and understand the
provisions of the statute. It is the policy of the Zephyrhills Police Department to provide and
maintain procedures to follow when officers are confronted with situations where force i s
necessary to execute their legal authority. Attempts shall be made to achieve control through
advice, warnings, and persuasion. However, in situations of resistance to an arr est, non-
Page 2 of 11 compliance with a lawful order, or where a threat to life is encounte red, and reasonable
alternatives have been exhausted or would clearly be ineffective, physical force may be used.
I. DEFINITIONS
A. Custody : Taking control of another individual through some action on the employee’s part.
B. Injury: The individual complains of an injury , or an apparent injury is observed .
C. Less -Lethal Force: Force that is not likely to cause death or great bodily harm.
D. Less -Lethal Weapons: Those weapons which, when used within their design limitations
and for their intended purpose, may not reasonably be expected to cause death or great
bodily harm.
E. Lethal Force: Force that is likely to cause death or great bodily harm.
F. Lethal Weapons : Those weapons which, when used within their design limitations and for
their intended purpose, may reasonably be expected to cause death or great bodily harm.
G. Physical Force: Force in excess of the mere touching of an individual. Physical contact
with a subject beyond that which is generally utilized to affect an arrest or other law
enforc ement objective. Physical force includes empty hand control techniques that are
used to overcome a subject’s physical resistance to the exertion of the law enforcement
officer’s authority or to protect property or persons from harm.
H. Reasonable Belief: A belief of an officer on the scene that is based on their evaluation of
the facts and totality of the circumstances known to them, which , when judged by an
objective and prudent officer , not on the scene, could be found to be reasonable.
I. Totality of the Circumstances: All facts and circumstances known to the officer at the
time or reasonably perceived by the officer as the basis for a use-of-force decision. The
courts shall look at the totality of the circumstances in determining whether the decision
was objectively reasonable and, therefore, legally justified. The totality of circumstances
includes consideration of the subject’s resistance level , all reasonably perceived factors that
may affect the situation, and the response options ava ilable to the officer.
II. AUTHORIZED USE OF FORCE
A. Officers may only use that degree of force reasonably necessary to effect lawful objectives.
B. As stated in FS 776.05, an officer, or any person whom the officer has summoned or
directed to assist him or her, need not retreat or desist from efforts to make a lawful arrest
because of resistance or threatened resistance to arrest. The officer is just ified in the use of
any force:
1. Which he or she reasonably believes to be necessary to defend himself or herself or
another from bodil y harm while making the arrest.
2. When necessarily committed to retaking felons who have escaped.
3. When necessarily committed to arresting felons fleeing from justice. However, this
subsection shall not constitute a defense in any civil action for damages brought for the
wrongful use of deadly force unless the use of deadly force was necessary to prevent
the arrest from being defeated by such flight and, when feasible, some warning had
been given, and:
Page 3 of 11 a. The officer reasonably believes that the fleeing felon poses a threat of death or
serious physical harm to the officer or others .
b. The officer reasonably believes that the fleeing felon has committed a crime
involving the infliction or threatened infliction of serious p hysical harm to another
person.
C. Physical force may be used in the following manner:
1. Officers need not retreat or desist from efforts to make a lawful arrest because of
resistance or threatened resistance to arrest.
2. Officers are justified in the use of any non -deadly force they reasonably believe to be
necessary to defend themselves or another from bodily harm while making a lawful
arrest.
3. Officers are p er