Essay
The concept of life or death is not something the average person faces on a regular basis, unless you are law enforcement. When you are a law enforcement officer, you often have to make a snap decision that can cost or spare the lives of you or others. So when is the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer justified?
According to Law Cornell, “Deadly force refers to force which is likely to cause death or serious bodily injury.”. When making a decision about a situation regarding their own or another’s life, a reasonable officer shall base their decision on the threat of death or great bodily harm to the officer or another person. They are disallowed to use deadly force if an officer is able to reasonably believe, based on circumstances and without hindsight, that the person did not pose a threat to their life.
When making the decision to use deadly force, a reasonable officer must believe the force is necessary. These circumstances are listed by the Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Circumstances include the protection of the officer or another from death or serious bodily harm if the threat is articulated specifically, reasonably likely to happen without action from the officer and is performed without unreasonable delay. Additionally, if the threat affects the arrest or capture or aid in escape of someone who the officer has reasonable grounds to believe has or will commit a felony.
An officer should be able to decide whether or not it is reasonable to employ the use of deadly force. When their life is at risk, it is only reasonable to expect them to do so, as it is human nature. If an objectively reasonable officer believes that it fits into the circumstances that warrant this type of force and it is their last and best option, it should be permitted. Taking a life should never be the first or even second option taken, but there are cases that it is the choice between the officer’s life and the life of the person threatening their life.
With the high pressure, fast paced situations that the usage of deadly force tends to be used in, there is not mich time for an officer to think through every aspect of the situation. This can lead them to getting caught up in the adrenaline and making a rash decision that ends up being the wrong one. According to University of Illinois Chicago, up to 250,000 civilians are injured annually and 600 killed by law enforcement in a year. A cop’s subconscious prejudice can lead to them being more likely to perceive more of a threat from peoples of certain groups.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/deadly_force#:~:text=Primary%20tabs,death%20or%20serious%20bodily%20injury.
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1182&type=bill&version=0&session=ls93&session_year=2023&session_number=0
https://policeepi.uic.edu/u-s-data-on-police-shootings-and-violence/
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1182&type=bill&version=0&session=ls93&session_year=2023&session_number=0