Use of force continuum

Also, for some agencies the use of aerosol pepper spray and electronic control devices (TASER) may fall into the same category as take-downs, or the actual strikes.

These progressions rest on the premise that officers should escalate and de-escalate their level of force in response to the subject's actions.

[3] Although the use of force continuum is used primarily as a training tool for law enforcement officers, it is also valuable with civilians, such as in criminal trials or hearings by police review boards.

When de-escalating, hard controls (i.e.: cuffs and isolation in the rear seat of a cruiser) give officers a reasonable and achievable goal after altercation with a detainee during which higher levels of force may have been required.

The officers are trained to apply the proper measure of force within the continuum based on the actions and classification of the subject.

[15] The United States Supreme Court, in the case of Graham v. Connor, (1989) ruled that excessive use of force claims must be evaluated under the "objectively reasonable" standard of the Fourth Amendment.

Broadly speaking, the use of force by an officer becomes necessary and is permitted under specific circumstances, such as in self-defense or in defense of another individual or group.

Operations Specialist 1st Class Dennis Marholz apprehends a mock suspect after being hit with pepper spray while Aviation Electronic Technician 1st Class Pete Ingram keeps close watch during a pepper spray testing evaluation that marked the final stage in a three-week series of training involving non-lethal weapons and the use of force continuum.