When may deadly force be used by police?

• A. Only when necessary to prevent death or serious bodily harm or in certain narrowly defined circumstances to apprehend a dangerous suspect when no other means are available
• B. At the officer's discretion
• C. Any time there is danger
• D. Only after giving a warning and obtaining backup

Answer: (A)

The use of deadly force by police is limited to situations where there is an imminent threat that justifies such force. It may be used to prevent death or serious bodily harm to the officer or to others, or in very narrowly defined circumstances to stop a dangerous suspect from causing such harm when there is no reasonable alternative.

This reflects the principle of objective reasonableness under the total circumstances and the specific rules from cases like Tennessee v. Garner and Graham v. Connor. In practice, that means deadly force is justified only if it is necessary to prevent an imminent and significant threat and there are no feasible nonviolent options left. Warnings or backup are prudent and policy-guided, but they are not universal requirements in every deadly-force scenario; waiting for a warning or backup could be unsafe if the threat is immediate.