Use of Force
Citizen/police encounters resulting in the use of force and in particular the use of
deadly force, by police officers often provokes a strong reaction in the community.
This is as it should be. In a civil and civilized society, the resort to violence, even
by duly constituted authority, should give us pause. While use of force by Seattle Police Officers is very infrequent, the Department understands the concern the community has about any of these incidents.
The Department encourages the community to learn about and understand the SPD use of force policies and actions. The information on this page explains the basics of how, why and when a police officer may use force. For additional information, please see the Use of Force Special Report.
THE USE FORCE IS VERY RARE
The public is generally suprised to learn that police officers use force infrequently. Nationally, it is estimated that over 99% of police encounters with the public occur without the use of force. In Seattle, use of force occurs even less frequently. In 2005 only 0.153% of all police contacts resulted in any use of force by SPD officers.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT USE OF FORCE
How do officers know how much force to use?
To ensure public safety and protect persons
and property, officers in Seattle, as elsewhere, are trained to gain control of
the situations they encounter as quickly, safely, and effectively as possible.
This means using a level of force necessary and reasonable under the
circumstances to accomplish their lawful purpose. It is recommended that
officers meet force with superior force. This is because studies have shown
that officers are at great risk of injury when they use force, and that there is
a greater chance of both suspect and officer injury when officers fail to meet suspect resistance with a greater amount of force.
However, since no two
situations are likely to be the same, there are no “cookie cutter” guidelines
for officers to follow. Instead they are expected to use their training,
experience, and judgment in applying force.
In Seattle, police recruits are exposed to a training guideline known as the
“Continuum of Force”. This continuum describes
the types of force available to an officer to address escalating types of
suspect resistance or assault. Seattle police trainees are given more than
120 hours of scenario-based and simulator training on use of force
situations.
Why don’t officers just shoot weapons out of people’s hands or shoot to
wound them?
Police officers are taught that their paramount duty is to ensure
public safety by protecting themselves and others from harm. When
confronted by persons who are armed and dangerous, the officers’ goal is to
stop these persons before they can harm others. In Seattle as in other law
enforcement agencies, officers are trained that the most certain and effective
way to stop armed and dangerous assailants is to aim for their “center of
mass”. Movies and television programs make it seem that shooting at a
person’s arm or leg is easily done. In real life, such a shot is both improbable
and risky. Deadly force incidents evolve in seconds, often presenting officers
with limited opportunities to intervene. In light of this, officers are trained to
take the high percentage shot, which is center of mass.
Why don’t the police fire “warning shots” and give suspects the chance
to throw down their weapons?
The national standard among police
agencies is not to fire warning shots. The Seattle Police Department complies
with that standard. The carefully scripted plots of movies and television
programs frequently involve armed suspects who appear easily persuaded to
relinquish their weapons and surrender to police officers. Unfortunately, many
of the people that police officers confront are not nearly so compliant. Some
may be incapable of making a rational decision to surrender, because of a
mental state or chemically induced condition. Others may have so strong a
motivation to flee or fight that they will not consider complying with officers’
orders to stop. As noted above, officers may only have one chance to use their
weapons. Making (likely to be ineffective) shots in the air that have the added
potential of harming others may not be the best use of that one opportunity.
Many use of force situations seem to involve multiple officers. Are
the police “ganging up” on people they are trying to arrest?
Officers
are trained to call for back up in use of force situations. This is done to
prevent an incident from escalating to the point that a greater use of force
may be required. In other situations, an officer may seek the guidance of a
supervisor on the scene. Though suspects may view the arrival of
additional officers as an aggressive action, experience has shown that if an
arrest has to be made, it is wise to have additional officers available. Their
presence may reduce the need for, and even prevent the use of force.
What should a person do if they feel unnecessary or excessive force
is being used on them?
The best course of action is to comply with the
officer’s directives and seek a timely end to the encounter, noting the time
and place of the incident and the officers’ identification. Then, at the
earliest opportunity, call the police agency involved and ask to speak with a
supervisor to discuss the matter. If unsatisfied with the response, one can
file a formal complaint.
In Seattle, any supervisor can assist citizens who
are concerned about an officer’s behavior. Formal complaints can be made
at any precinct or directly with the Investigation Section of the Office of
Professional Accountability.
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