Use of Force

Use of Force Infographic by Police Foundation

The use of force can generally be defined as the means of compelling compliance or overcoming resistance to an officer’s command(s) in order to protect life or property or to take a person into custody. For this reason, some agencies refer to the use of force as “response to resistance.” Types of force can include verbal, physical, chemical, impact, electronic, and firearm. Other definitions of the use of force in law enforcement may differ.

Related Resource: The Police Foundation’s use of force infographic can help in explaining when force occurs, what happens when it occurs, and the legal basis for using force.

The agencies below have released data on the use of force.