Deadly Force Definition Essay

The use of lethal force by police is subject to societal, strategic and tactical considerations that inform choices in the field. While many factors are the same for all force options, the tactical purpose in the use of lethal force is distinct. A key question is not whether a killing was justified but if it was avoidable. In deciding to use lethal force, expectations that police are able to make nuanced choices are questionable.

Tamir Rice was a twelve-year-old boy playing in the snow at his local park, making the mistake of waving an air pellet gun at strangers- a mistake that would cost him his life. A bystander made a call to 911, and when the police arrived on the scene, within seconds of exiting the vehicle, Rice was shot. According to an article by the Pittsburgh Tribune, although police have been caught in the act, captured on camera committing a crime, they are not prosecuted 96 percent of the time. November 22, 2014, twelve-year-old, Tamir Rice, was playing and posing with his air pellet gun when a man sitting in the park called 911 to report, “there’s a guy here with a pistol, pointing it at everybody… [The gun] is probably a fake, but you know what,

For many years, it has been difficult in identifying the proper meaning of the use of force or the proper use of force, regarding on police officers. Use of force by police officers is acceptable under specific circumstances, such as self-defense and of another individual or group when necessary. There are officers caught abusing their power by using excessive force in the wrong situations. Many people can view police officers as using excessive force in a way to complete their job, but others can view them as using excessive force inappropriately in cases like racial profiling.

The topic that I chose to research is the “use of force” by the police specifically in the case of Michael Brown. The shooting of Michael Brown occurred on August 9, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri, a northern suburb of St. Louis. Brown, an 18-year-old black male, was fatally shot by Darren Wilson, 28, a white Ferguson police officer. The disputed circumstances of the shooting of the unarmed 18-year-old sparked existing tensions in the predominantly black city, where protests and civil unrest erupted.

The fleeing felon rule is when the police are chasing a felony suspect and he or she is fleeing from the scene. The officers are allowed to use force to stop the fleeing suspect, that includes the use of deadly force. However, deadly force can only be used if the officer has probable cause to believe that suspect would be a threat to the community. Force can be used by the victim, bystanders, and officers, but, deadly force can only be used by the officers.

The main topic of this paper has to do with whether police shootings are justified or not and it has to do with all the statistics of their shootings. Another point of this paper is talking about the details of when the officers shoot and what happens then. Surprisingly police officers do not hit their target a majority of the time. As a matter of fact police officers usually only hit an assailant twenty-five percent of the time. My opinion is that police officers more than not, are correct in whether or not they are when they shoot if it is justifiable or not.

A correctional facility must have a use of force policy that is constitutional and guides correctional officers in its application. The first step is to have a use of force policy to define what is considered force and when officers can use force, what types of force may be used, and what weapons are authorized (Carlton & Garrett, 2008). The policy must include a force continuum and levels of resistance along with what force is authorized for use against a certain level of resistance. The policy must contain how incidents involving the use of force are to be reported, reviewed, and what disciplinary actions will be taken for the excessive use of force. Also included should be procedures outlining the proper decontamination and medical procedures for uses of force.

Military style assault weapons were created for one singular purpose. And that is to kill other human beings. Weapons like the AR-15 and the AK-47, are semi-automatic, they are relatively lightweight and compact, and they are designed to equip magazines containing  anywhere from 5 to 100 rounds of ammunition at a time. These weapons are currently available for legal purchase within the United States by anyone who successfully passes a background check and surpasses the legal qualifications. Because of this, these weapons are used every year, every single year, in shootings across the country.

The 20th century labelled, “the most violent century in human history” (golding). To explain the violence of the 20th century if one must look at all events of the intentionally harm done to others. This includes the violence caused by the two hundred and fifty-six wars inluding World War One and two, The Vietnam War, The Cold War which where almost 108 milion human lives have persihed and others haunted by the gruesome details that occurred during these events. One must also look at the the violence caused by seven genocides including the Holocaust, Armenian Genocide and Rwandan Genocide which killed eighteen million people.

The story “The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams is a fiction in which the author uses one of the characters to narrate the speaker’s thought. Mathilda puts up a stiff opposition against the narrator, Dr. Olson, as he tries to carry out a medical procedure known as a throat culture. According to Children’s Health.com, “a throat culture is a microbiological procedure for identifying disease-causing bacterial organisms in material taken from the throat” aim at “identifying the specific bacterial organisms that are causing a sore throat” (healthofchildren.com). There are four things that caught my attention which I will like to share you. To begin, the first thing that caught my attention was the title, “The Use of Force.”

On November 15,Officer Jeronimo Yanez was charged with manslaughter and various gun charges due to a shooting at a routine traffic stop. On July 6, almost 5 months ago, Officer Jeronimo Yanez pulled over Philando Castile, with the assumption that he was involved in a robbery that happened a few days prior. Mr. Castile had his girlfriend and his child in the car when he was pulled over. After handing the officer his license and registration, Mr. Castile that he was armed, but there was a permit for the gun with his papers.