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Video - Constitutional Parameters of the Use of Force

In Canton v. Harris the United States Supreme Court said:

"FN10 ... [T]he need to train officers in the constitutional limitations on the use of deadly force, [citation omitted], can be said to be 'so obvious,' that failure to do so could properly be characterized as 'deliberate indifference' to constitutional rights."

Canton v. Harris, 489 U.S. 378, at 390, 109, S.Ct. 1197, at 1205 (1989).

Since Canton many courts have required that officers must be trained in the Constitutional limits on the use of force. This video and workbook/manual can help profes sionalize your department while simultaneously meeting this court mandated training requirement.

In part, the Video/Manual Training Program answers the following questions:

  1. What is the use-of-force standard of the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?

  2. What is the use-of-force standard of the 5th/14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?

  3. What is the use-of-force standard of the 8th Amendment?

  4. Are officers REQUIRED to use the LEAST amount of force?

  5. Should an officer's use of force be judged at the MOMENT the force was used?

  6. What is meant by the phrase "we cannot assume the negative?"

  7. What is the difference between "objective" and "subjective" standards of force?

  8. How do state statutes impact the U.S. Constitutional parameters of force?

  9. What happened in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Tennessee v. Garner?

  10. What happened in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Graham v. Conner?

  11. What are the five main factors upon which officers' use of force will be judged?

  12. What is the 4-part Johnson v. Glick test?

  13. How does an officer explain WHY (s)he used force?

  14. And numerous others....