Lawful & Justifiable Use of Force

Certification

This course is certified by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board.

Training Mandates

This course meets state guidelines for the following mandated subject areas:

• Law Update  (annual)
• Use of Force  (annual)
• Civil Rights  (every 3 yrs.)
• Constitutional & Proper Use of Authority  (every 3 yrs.)
• Procedural Justice  (every 3 yrs.)

Description

This course focuses on the training and preparation of officers in legal and practical issues related to law enforcement use of force.  Instruction will examine actual force incidents as well as likely scenarios.  Students will review and analyze officer response from arrival on scene to applications of force – ranging from verbal contact to deadly force.  Law, policy, tactics, and training will be considered as well as the aftermath of the incident.  Use of force training and field application will be considered from the perspectives of patrol officers, supervisors, and law enforcement executives.

Topics

• Illinois Use of Force Statutes: 720 ILCS 5/7 (Article 7: 7-1 through 7-9)
• U.S. Supreme Court Decisions: Tennessee v. Garner; Graham v. Connor, etc.
• Federal Appellate Court Decisions
• 7th Circuit Court of Appeals: cases and decisions
• Constitutional Law – Fourth Amendment
• Understanding Reasonable v. Excessive Use of Force
• Civil and Criminal Liability
• Escalation/De-escalation Skills and Tactics
• Use of Force Options (verbal, physical, O.C. spray, Taser, baton, deadly force)
• High-level Force Events
• Officer Involved Shootings (policy and supervisory issues)

Instructor