When is deadly force permissible?

• A. To threaten suspects to comply.
• B. To prevent imminent death or serious bodily harm when lesser means are insufficient.
• C. To punish the suspect.
• D. To delay the investigation.

Answer: (B)

Deadly force is allowed only to stop an immediate threat to life or serious bodily harm, and only after reasonable, less-lethal options have been tried or would be ineffective. The threat must be imminent—happening now or about to happen—so the response is about stopping an ongoing danger, not about punishment or retaliation. The force used must be proportional to the threat; using deadly force isn’t justified for non-violent or minor threats, or as a way to punish someone.

Think of a scenario where a suspect is actively aiming a weapon at someone and there’s no safe alternative to prevent harm. In that moment, escalating to deadly force to shut down the threat can be appropriate. On the other hand, attempting to coerce someone by threatening them with deadly force, punishing a suspect, or delaying an investigation aren’t valid reasons for using deadly force.