ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT Policy and Procedure General Order: 3.01 Order Title: Use of Force (General) Original Issue Date 10/16/17 Reissue / Effective Date 01/21/18 Compliance Standards: CALEA Law Enforcement 1.3.1, 1.3.2, 1.3.3, 1.3.4, 1.3.5, 1.3.6, 1.3.9, 1.3.11, 1.3.12, 33.5.1; State Certification 1.10, 1.11, 1.12, 1.14, 1.15, 1.19, 1.20, 1.21. Rescinds: A1/02/04, A3/01/01 (Bullets A, H, I), A3/02/02 (Bullet B), A3/02/01, A3/02/03 (Bullets A, B, D, F), A3/03/06, A3/03/07 (Bullet A), A3/03/08, A3/03/12 (Bullets B-F), B1/05/03 (Bullet A), B1/08/03 (Bullet A), C4/07/09 (Bullet J, Number 2) Authorization R. Scott Freeman, Ph.D., Chief of Police This General Order is for Departmental use only and does not apply in any criminal or civil proceeding. This General Order should not be construed as creation of a higher legal standard of safety or care in an evidentiary sense with respect to third party claims. Violations of this General Order will only form the basis for Departmental administrative sanctions. Violations of law will form the basis for civil and criminal sanctions in a recognized judicial setting. I. PURPOSE The purpose of this general order is to establish the Athens-Clarke County Police Department s guidelines and limitations concerning the appropriate and acceptable use of deadly and nondeadly force. II. POLICY It is the policy of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (hereafter referred to as ACCPD or Department ) to value and preserve human life. Officers will use only the force that is objectively reasonable to accomplish lawful objectives and effectively bring an incident under control while protecting the safety of the officer and others. Officers will use force only when no reasonably effective alternative appears to exist, and only the level of force that a reasonably prudent officer would use under the same, or similar, circumstances. The decision to use force requires careful attention to the facts and circumstances of each particular case, including the severity of the crime at issue, whether the suspect poses an immediate threat to the safety of the officer or others, and whether he / she is actively resisting arrest or attempting to evade arrest by flight. In addition, the reasonableness of a particular use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than with the 20 / 20 vision of hindsight the question is whether the officers actions are objectively reasonable in light of the facts and circumstances confronting them. 1 General Order 3.01 / Page 1
This policy will be reviewed annually. Any questions or concerns should be addressed to the immediate supervisor for clarification. III. DEFINITIONS Actively resisting: When a subject makes physically evasive movements to interfere with an officer s attempt to control that subject, including bracing, tensing, pulling away, actual or attempted flight, or pushing. Choke hold: A physical maneuver that restricts an individual s ability to breathe for the purposes of incapacitation. This does not include vascular neck restraints. Deadly force: Any physical force that can reasonably be expected to cause death or serious bodily injury. Officers must understand that deadly physical force is an extreme measure and should only be used in accordance with the law and as stated within this policy. De-escalation: Taking action or communicating verbally or non-verbally during a potential force encounter in an attempt to stabilize the situation; the effort to reduce the immediacy of the threat so that more time, options, and resources can be called upon to resolve the situation without the use of force or with a reduction in the force necessary. De-escalation may include the use of such techniques as command presence, advisements, warnings, verbal persuasion, and tactical repositioning. Exigent circumstances: Those circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to believe that a particular action is necessary to prevent physical harm to an individual, the destruction of relevant evidence, the escape of a suspect, or some other consequence improperly frustrating legitimate law enforcement efforts. 2 Force: Any physical strike or instrumental contact with a person, any intentional attempted physical strike or instrumental contact that does not take effect, or any significant physical contact that restricts the movement of a person. The term includes the discharge of a firearm, use of chemical spray, chokeholds or hard hands, taking of a subject to the ground, or the deployment of a canine. The term does not include escorting or handcuffing a person with minimal or no resistance. Use of force is lawful if it is objectively reasonable under the circumstances to effect an arrest, or protect the officer or other person. Great bodily harm / serious bodily injury: Bodily injury that creates a substantial risk of death, causes serious or permanent disfigurement, or results in long-term loss or impairment of the functioning of any body part or organ. Hard hand control: Impact-oriented techniques that include knee strikes, elbow strikes, punches, kicks, and impact weapons. Imminent threat: An officer s reasonable perception of impending danger, death, or serious injury from any action or outcome that may occur during an encounter. Impact weapons: Department-authorized tools that provide a method for gaining control of a subject when lethal force is not justified but when empty-hand control techniques are not sufficient to effect control. General Order 3.01 / Page 2
Less lethal force: Any use of force other than that which is considered deadly force that involves physical effort to control, restrain, or overcome the resistance of another. Level of control: The amount of force that an officer uses to gain control over a subject. Level of resistance: The amount of force used by a subject to resist compliance with the lawful order or action of an officer. Objectively reasonable: The determination that the necessity for using force, and the level of force used, is based upon the officer s evaluation of the situation in light of the totality of the circumstances known to the officer at the time the force is used and upon what a reasonably prudent officer would use under the same or similar situations. Non-verbal and verbal non-compliance: When a subject expresses his / her intentions not to comply with an officer s directive through verbal and non-verbal means. Passive resistance: When a subject does not cooperate with an officer s commands but does not take action to prevent being taken into custody. For example, an arrested protestor who lies down in front of a doorway and must be carried away. Reasonable belief: Facts or circumstances that would cause a reasonable, similarly trained police officer to act or think in a similar manner under similar circumstances. Soft hand control: The use of physical strength and skill in defensive tactics to control arrestees who are reluctant to be taken into custody and offer some degree of physical resistance. Such techniques are not impact oriented and include pain compliance pressure points, takedowns, joint locks, and simply grabbing a subject. Touching or escort holds may be appropriate for use against levels of passive physical resistance. Verbal commands: The use of advice, persuasion, warnings, and / or clear directions prior to resorting to actual physical force. In an arrest situation, officers will, when feasible, give the arrestee simple verbal directions with which the arrestee is encouraged to comply. IV. PROCEDURES A. General Provisions 1. Use of physical force should be discontinued when resistance ceases or when the incident is under control. 2. Physical force will not be used against individuals in restraints, except as objectively reasonable to prevent their escape or prevent imminent bodily injury to the individual, the officer, or another person. In these situations, only the minimal amount of force necessary to control the situation will be used. 3. Once the scene is safe and as soon as practical, an officer will provide appropriate medical care consistent with his or her training to any individual who has visible injuries, complains of being injured, or requests medical attention. This may include providing first aid, requesting emergency medical services, and/or arranging for transportation to an emergency medical facility. General Order 3.01 / Page 3
4. An officer has a duty to intervene to prevent or stop the use of excessive force by another officer when it is safe and reasonable to do so. 5. All use of force incidents will be documented and investigated pursuant to General Order 3.08: Reporting and Investigating Force. B. De-escalation 1. An officer will use de-escalation techniques and other alternatives consistent with his or her training whenever possible and appropriate before resorting to force and to reduce the need for force. 2. Whenever possible, and when such delay will not compromise the safety of the officer or another and will not result in the destruction of evidence, escape of a suspect, or commission of a crime, an officer will allow an individual time and opportunity to submit to verbal commands before force is used. C. Use of Less Lethal Force When de-escalation techniques are not effective or appropriate, an officer may consider the use of less lethal force to control a non-compliant or actively resistant individual. An officer is authorized to use Department-approved less lethal force techniques and issued equipment: 1. To protect the officer or others from immediate physical harm, 2. To restrain or subdue an individual who is actively resisting or evading arrest, and / or 3. To bring an unlawful situation safely and effectively under control. D. Use of Deadly Force 1. An officer is authorized to use deadly force when it is objectively reasonable under the totality of the circumstances. Use of deadly force is justified when one or both of the following apply: a. To protect the officer or others from what is reasonably believed to be an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury; and / or b. To prevent the escape of a fleeing subject when the officer has probable cause to believe that the person has committed, or intends to commit, a felony involving serious bodily injury or death, and the officer reasonably believes that there is an imminent risk of serious bodily injury or death to the officer, or another, if the subject is not immediately apprehended. 2. Where feasible, the officer will identify him or herself as a law enforcement officer and warn of his or her intent to use deadly force. 3 General Order 3.01 / Page 4
3. Deadly Force Restrictions a. Deadly force should not be used against persons whose actions are a threat only to themselves or property. b. Firearms will not be discharged at a moving vehicle unless (1) A person in the vehicle is threatening the officer, or another person, with deadly force by means other than the vehicle; or (2) The vehicle is operated in a manner deliberately intended to strike an officer or another person, and all other reasonable means of defense have been exhausted (or are not present or practical), which includes moving out of the path of the vehicle. c. Firearms will not be discharged from a moving vehicle except in exigent circumstances. In these situations, an officer must have an articulable reason for this use of deadly force. d. Officers are prohibited from discharging their firearms as a means of warning or frightening a person. e. Choke holds are prohibited unless deadly force is authorized. 4 f. Officers may use their firearms to dispatch an animal that represents a threat to the officer or to public safety. Officers may also dispatch an animal when it is so seriously injured that humaneness demands its immediate removal from further suffering. Officers should first seek the authorization of their supervisor and, whenever practical, authorization from the animal s owner before dispatching it. E. Authorized Weapons / Ammunition 1. The Chief of Police is responsible for authorizing any Department issued and / or approved weapon or ammunition for use by officers in the course of their law enforcement responsibilities, both on and off duty. Authorizations will be made by memorandum (Authorized Department Firearms, Authorized Department Ammunition, and Authorized Department Rifles), distributed to all personnel, and filed with the Career Development and Training Unit (CDTU). 2. CDTU personnel will be responsible for maintaining a comprehensive list of all weapons and ammunition authorized for use by the Chief of Police. 3. When not in use, Department authorized weapons and ammunition should be stored in accordance with the manufacturer s recommendations and / or best practices unless otherwise directed by Department policy. General Order 3.01 / Page 5
F. Training 1. All officers will receive training, at least annually, on the Department s use of force policies (General Orders 3.01-3.09) and related legal updates. 2. Additional use of force training will be provided on a regular and periodic basis and will be designed to: a. Provide techniques for the use of and reinforce the importance of de-escalation; b. Simulate actual shooting situations and conditions; and c. Enhance officers discretion and judgment in using less lethal and deadly force in accordance with this policy. 3. All use of force training will be documented. G. Prohibited Use An officer will not unnecessarily display, or at any time use, any weapon as a means or method of intimidation. V. REFERENCES 1. Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386 (1989). 2. Based on the definition from United States v. McConney, 728 F.2d 1195, 1199 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 824 (1984). 3. Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1 (1985). General Order 3.01 / Page 6