Force Options

Properly evaluating a use of force requires a working knowledge of the various force options. This chapter identifies two particularly relevant characteristics of any given option: how it works and its likely effects. With that framework in mind, readers are provided with a description of the tools, techniques, and weaponry that officers employ in use-of-force situations. From handcuffs to “flashbang” concussion grenades, from takedowns to chokeholds, from batons to electronic control weapons, and from firearms to experimental weaponry, just to name a few, this chapter provides detailed information about the nature of each force option, how it is generally taught and used in the policing context, and its attendant risks.