Jonathan Porter

Professor H. Bown
English 2100
02/16/15
The Facts of Deadly Force

In light of current events, many people are worried about the use of deadly
force by law enforcement officers. Deadly force is defined by law as follows: When
the use of force results in the death of another person, a "homicide," or a "killing of a human
being by another human being," has occurred. (Use of Force, par 36). Although this use of
deadly force can be warranted, many people feel that the use of deadly force is becoming out of
hand. However, there is much evidence that supports the opposite. The statistics on the use of
deadly force show a decline. There have been technological advances that have led to a decline
in excessive use of force. Many police departments have begun to enact new training programs
and tactics to aid in the reduction of the use of deadly force.

In a recent study done by the Bureau of Justice, it was reported that police
justifiably kill on average nearly 400 felons each year (Brown, Langan, 3). This
same study also found that from 1976 to 1998, the U.S. population age 13 or older
grew by about 47 million people and the size of the police force in the United States
grew by over 200,000 officers, but the number of felons justifiably killed by police
did not generally rise (Brown, Langan, 3). This trend shows that the occurrence
rate of the use of deadly force is actually dropping. This same average amount was
found in another study that viewed the number of arrest-related deaths between
2003 and 2009. During this seven year period, there were 2,931 reported incidents
of homicide by law enforcement (Burch, 2). This averages out to about 421 deaths
per year. It is also important to note that the population in the United States still
continued to rise as did the number of law enforcement officers.

Throughout the recent years,

police forces have had to make
new innovations for their own
safety and the safety of others,
especially those in their custody.
Many police forces have begun to
use body cameras during their
shifts. A recent study in 2012
reinforces the effectiveness of
these body cameras. The study
found that during the shifts where body cameras were used, the number of
incidents where weapons were used decreased dramatically. The study also found
that in all videotaped incidents (treatment condition) in which force was used by
officers the subject is clearly seen to be physically-abusive or to physically resisting
arrest. On the other hand, in five incidents that have occurred during control shifts
(out of a total of seventeen incidents) officers resorted to use force without being
physical-threatened (Ariel, 9). This study found that such incidents of physical
force which could lead to deadly force was cut in half. The use of Tasers is also a
very important advancement that the police force has taken advantage of. Taser
guns are guns that shoot electrical pulses through probes that can be fired at a
target. These electrical pulses are harmless and only stun a target by temporarily
interfering with the bodys nervous system (How a Taser CEW Works, par 15). In a
study of Taser effectiveness and safety conducted in 2007, researchers found that
99.7% of all suspects being Tased in the study group had no injuries or mild injuries.

The other .3% sustained serious injuries due to how or where they fell as opposed to
the actual Taser gun itself (Study Suggests Taser Use by US Police is Safe, par 4).
Over the years, law enforcement training and tactics have evolved. As early
as 1930, police officers only had
a target practice training. Law
enforcement officials assumed
that this was the only thing
needed as officers would be able
to judge the situations
themselves in the heat of things with minimal training. This quickly proved to be
ineffective as there was no training on how one should react in the moment. Later,
videos and lectures on how to react in situations were produced but this still didnt
have the desired result. Law enforcement officers had to have these concepts
drilled into their brains through experience. Because of this need, videogame-like
simulations were produced to help officers receive this required experience.
Numerous studies have shown that these video simulations have the highest ability
to facilitate use of force judgment in the moment (Craig, 15-18). Police agencies
have also begun to look at different tactics and methods to use in order to reduce
the likelihood of unnecessary use of deadly force. Police officers have started to
work in pairs in all shifts in many locations (Police Publicly Altering Tactics on Use of
Deadly Force, par 2). The use of the tactical retreat strategy is viewed to be
effective as officers are trained to retreat in order to let the situation cool down and
allow for back up to arrive instead of having to make critical decisions in the heat of
the moment (Tactical Retreat Policy Would Emphasize Safety in Police Interactions,
par 2-3, 5). There are many other programs that are being implemented but these

are all programs that are not totally disclosed, further discussion of methods and
their effectiveness would be speculation.
Despite what the headlines say about the use of deadly force being
excessive, the facts show that its use is actually declining. The statistics show that
it is becoming less prevalent. There are technological measures that are being
explored to give police the needed tools to reduce deadly force instances and new
trainings and programs are being practiced in order to teach law enforcement
officers how to respond in these high-stakes situations. The speculation over this
issue is being exaggerated and an in-depth look at the facts has and will show that
there is nothing to fear for the future.

Works Cited
Ariel, Barak, Dr. "Self-awareness to Being Watched and Socially-desirable Behavior: A Field
Experiment on the Effect of Body-worn Cameras on Police Use-of-force." Scribd. Police
Foundation, Mar. 2013. Print. 16 Feb. 2015.
Bennell, Craig, Ph.D. "The Effectiveness of Use of Force Simulation Training Final Report." Interpol.
University of Carlston, 05 Aug. 2004. Print. 16 Feb. 2015.
"How a Taser CEW Works." Taser. Taser International Inc., 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.
Paddock, Catharine. "Study Suggests Taser Use By US Police Is Safe." Medical News Today.
MediLexicon International, 9 Oct. 2007. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.
"Police Publicly Altering Tactics on Use of Deadly Force" TribLive. TribLive, 24 Dec. 2014. Web. 16
Feb. 2015.

Townes, Camariah. "Tactical Retreat Policy Would Emphasize Safety In Police

Interactions." ThinkProgress RSS. 27 Jan. 2015. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.
United States of America. Department of Justice. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Arrest-Related Deaths,
2003-2009 - Statistical Tables. By Andrea M. Burch. Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of
Justice, 2011.Bureau of Justice Statistics. Print. 16 Feb. 2015.
United States of America. Department of Justice. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Policing and Homicide,
1976-98: Justifiable Homicide by Police, Police Officers Murdered by Felons. By Jodi M.
Brown and Patrick A. Langan. Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, 2001. Bureau of
Justice Statistics. Print. 16 Feb. 2015.
"Use of Force." Welcome to Legal Update. Legal Update, 2008. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.