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Reasonable Force

Before we look at specific martial arts, we should first review and understand the underlying justifications for using physical force.

As law enforcement officers, we have a positive duty to use force when necessary to discharge our duty. Whether we use verbal commands, professional presence, control holds, pepper spray, personal weapons, or firearms is influenced by many factors. Which force option we choose depends on the particular circumstances of each situation, including our level of on-the-job experience, size and weight, physical ability, and personal confidence.

In some cases, verbal commands and professional presence are enough to control a violent or assaultive suspect. In other cases, we may not even have time to give verbal commands to the suspect, for example, if a suspect attacks as soon as we arrive on the scene.

In 1989 it was established that any evaluation of a police officer’s decision to use force must recognize that we are often forced to make split-second decisions in situations that are tense, uncertain, and rapidly changing. We need to base our critical decisions about the use of force on a similar “reasonable officer standard”—to be determined by the facts and circumstances of the overall situation confronting us.