How Much Force are the Police Allowed to Use When Arresting Someone?
Police are allowed to use just enough force to maintain control. Their actions in regards to force are strictly regulated by what’s called the “Use of Force Continuum”. This ranking system of force sees officer presence as the first level, followed by verbal commands and climbing through several steps all the way to deadly force. The officer is allowed to use a level of force on the continuum just above the level of resistance you are providing. In other words, if their presence doesn’t eliminate the problem, they can use verbal commands, and so forth. While this continuum is used in many jurisdictions across the country, slightly different terms may be applied to the same methods in other areas. When it comes to alleging police brutality, there are two categories: “unnecessary use of force” and “excessive use of force”. One applies where force was not necessary at all and the other when force was necessary but applied at an excessive level.
