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The Use of Force Continuum for Civilians

Use of Force: Explained

As an agent or law enforcement officer and even as a military combatant, it is not always feasible to just pull a weapon and shoot someone, nor is it morally correct. To ensure some lone ranger does not just go around using their gun for any reason they deem fit, most law enforcement agencies have policies that guide its use of force.

These policies direct us agents to use an escalating series of actions to resolve a situation. This continuum generally has several levels and agents are directed and taught to respond with a level of force that is appropriate to the situation with which they are faced, acknowledging that they may move from one part of the continuum to another in a split second.

Escalation of Force

In the military, the use of force continuum is called the escalation of force (EOF) but they are very similar. The purpose of these models is to clarify for both law enforcement officers and civilians the complex subject of the use of force. There are different models used and none of them are universally applicable, but they are all fairly similar.

Now, I am not a lawyer and cannot give you legal advice, but I will argue that if you have to defend yourself, especially using lethal force, things may go much better for you if you can say that you followed a use of force continuum similar to what the police use to make decisions regarding the use of force. I am going to provide some guidance on how the continuum works at different levels and how you can use it for your self-defense. An example use-of-force continuum is as follows:

Officer Presence

No force is used. Considered the best way to resolve a situation

  • The mere presence of a law enforcement officer works to deter crime or diffuse a situation.
  • Officers’ attitudes are professional and nonthreatening.
  • The officer has his uniform, badge, and gun to show that he is in charge and not to be messed with.

For you as a civilian, let’s say you are confronted in a parking lot over a space. You have a belligerent guy cursing and shouting at you for whatever reason. You have the option to simply back away from the situation or to just maintain a confident, but nonthreatening attitude and presence that—along with your body posture— lets the guy know that you are ready for action if you need to be and are not intimidated by his actions.

Verbalization

Force is not-physical.

  • Officers issue calm, nonthreatening commands such as “Let me see your license and registration.”
  • Officers may increase their volume and shorten commands in an attempt to gain compliance. Short commands might include “Stop,” or “Don’t move.”

This works well for you, too. Continuing with the parking lot scenario, the guy is walking up to you and threatening you with his words, telling you how he is going to “kick your ass,” if you don’t move your car. At first you may try to calmly talk the guy down asking him to please not continue threatening you. If, however, he keeps approaching you and continues to threaten you as he approaches, you should increase your volume and tell him to “STOP!”, “GET BACK!” and to “LEAVE YOU ALONE.” It would be helpful if this caught other people’s attention so they can be witnesses to what may happen next.

Empty Hand Control

Officers use two types of bodily force techniques to gain control of a situation.

  • Soft Technique: Officers use grabs, holds, and joint locks to restrain an individual.
  • Hard Technique: Officers use punches and kicks to restrain an individual.

Now, the guy in the parking lot reaches out to try to grab or punch you. At this point you have every right to defend yourself because in most states this would now be considered a physical assault (BTW when the guy was shouting at you, that could be considered a verbal assault and is also illegal in many jurisdictions). If you decide to use a soft technique you might use a joint lock to control the attacker and hopefully diffuse the situation.

If the joint lock does not work, you may have to escalate your defensive response (yes, I said defensive because you are protecting yourself and it makes a difference in court) and begin to unleash a barrage of kicks or punches to “stop the threat” (again, an important term used by law enforcement).

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Less Lethal Methods

Officers use less lethal technologies to gain control of a situation.

  • Blunt Impact: Officers may use a baton or projectile to immobilize a combative person.
  • Chemical: Officers may use chemical sprays or projectiles embedded with chemicals to restrain an individual (e.g. pepper spray).
  • Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs): Officers may use CEDs to immobilize an individual. CEDs discharge a high-voltage, low-amperage jolt of electricity from a distance.

These are three of the methods I was taught for escalating the amount of force I needed to use if the attacker kept coming. So in our parking lot scenario, let’s say that your opponent is a lot stronger than you or has martial arts training and your techniques are not effective against him. At this point you may feel afraid and even more threatened and feel you need to escalate your defense.

You may retrieve your kubaton from your pocket or purse and use it as your blunt impact weapon. Some people carry mace or pepper spray and you may want to deploy it now (be careful, I have seen many agents and police officers mistakenly spray themselves with their own pepper spray, especially if the wind is blowing. Even when they get the bad guy, they often get some in their own eyes or inadvertently spray their partner.). Some of you may even carry legal tasers and can use them at this point.

Lethal Force

Officers use lethal weapons to gain control of a situation. Should only be used if a suspect poses a serious threat to the officer or another individual.

  • Officers use deadly weapons such as firearms to stop an individual’s actions.

Finally, the situation has gotten very serious and you feel that the attacker is trying to take your life. Just as for agents, you should only use lethal force when your attacker poses a serious threat to you. At this point the guy in the parking lot has you by the throat and is attempting to kill you or has pulled a knife or gun (or any type of weapon for that matter).

At this time, you may have to pull your legally carried knife or gun and use it. Hopefully you are much better with your weapon of choice because you have taken advantage of the excellent training we provide you here at Fightfast.com.

Final Thoughts

It is important for you to understand that this is just one scenario of how the Use of Force Continuum can be used. This entire scenario could go down in seconds and you have to use the information I have provided here and your own judgement to make the correct decision. Hopefully what I have shared today will increase your understanding of the continuum and help you make the right decision.

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102 thoughts on “The Use of Force Continuum for Civilians”

  1. Hey just a thanks for the information. It’s concise and clear making it easy to understand. And also it’s just short enough to not feel like you are getting a barrage of words that is so much that you don’t retain any of it. Short and simple a love it.

    Reply

  2. I appreciate the scenario you laid out in the example. Having served in the USMC & after being released from hospital I was ordered to spend my last 9 months in the Corp as an MP ! THUS I had many “Opportunities” to try to avoid escalation. Most were unsuccessful & the mere presence of the:
    MP COVER & ARMBAND, BRASS COVERED CARTRIDGE BELT & BUCKLE. THE NIGHT STICK, SPIT-SHINED SHOES, HOLSTER. THE PISTOL, etc. was enough to trigger any drunk Marine or Sailor into trying to take some of that gear for themselves ! Along with Base Crash Alerts, Speeders, EM Club Problems
    etc. It was kind of a fun job ? ìf you know what I mean !
    LesB

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  6. Yet another gem from Fightfast, enabling us to know the boundaries and defend ourselves. Keep them coming!

    Reply

  9. Thank you for the use of force training. I may not need it , but I will have it just in case, Thanks again

    Reply

  11. …..the wording and steps are very helpful, one so as not to rush to your end game and to to understand what is going on and how to express it. thanks, ed

    Reply

  12. Yes, the Use Of Force Continuum looks like good advice. So I clicked to see more from Derek Smith and got “Doctor Violence”. Incidentally everybody from Judo knows about the Vulcan Death Grip. Alas for “Doctor Violence” this causes the other guy to die happy, rather like Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Did you know the Nazis made a movie about their Euthanasia Campaign using Carbon Monoxide? They showed it to the public to prove it gave Mental Patients a pleasant way to die.

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  14. Your information is appreciated, certainly informal and sobering.
    Unfortunately Bob I don’t have the extra cash or credit to purchase what you offer to me and to many others.
    So don’t be to annoyed or pissed that I don’t purchase or jump on the free offers either. Ha I’d like too!
    What intrigues me is the seeming over sell of a product in the sales information pitch. Being an Aussie, If I need a ‘thing’ and I have the resources I will purchase said product not because of the sales or info pitch. I find myself ‘skipping’ over much of the dialogue.
    But one thing is obvious which is your enthusiasm in your products, your team and for us people out here in ‘civvie’ street who need educating.
    Again thanks.
    Jack.

    Reply

  15. Oh the Use of continuum force or esculating force is interesting.
    And am grateful for the reminder.
    I’ve worked for a number of years in security of property and venues of sorts for a number of years, I’ve been out of the game for 8years, thanks for the reminder.

    Regards.
    Jack

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  16. The use of force continuum is still a decent starting point for these types of discussions. However, the courts and most police agencies have moved away from this model, for a number of reasons. In fact thinking “Use of force Continuum” can get one into trouble these days. Terms and phrases like “Contextual Compliance” and “Rapidly Evolving” are more contemporary. We in the police use of force field used to think about: Ability, Opportunity, and Jeopardy when justifying a use of force incident. Now the courts are saying that just because an officer felt his life was in “jeopardy” is not enough to use a higher level of force. Courts are now saying officers need to know the perpetrators “intent” before using force. While this may be possible (due to the overall Context) in some cases, it is akin to mind reading in other situations. It is a very difficult time to be a police officer or security officer.
    Just an FYI
    Tom P., retired police office and use of force instructor

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  17. I lived (18) years alone in the woods and developed instincts that most women may never know. I co-existed with bear, moose, and coyote. But the only threat was man. All had rifles. Some were poachers. Women seem to feel safe on the streets in the daytime. I’ve had conversations with violent offenders. One asked me why women freeze and do not value their lives? They just give up or give in. Often a fatal decision. You might give women some advice on averting dangerous situations. Even if it were free, a little advice might save lives. Thanks.

    Reply

  18. Very good information. Always be ready for what you think will never happen,this way you are not caught off guard. Thank you and keep up the good work and stay safe.

    Reply

  19. Thank you for this reminder of force. These tactics work when applied correctly. Keep up the informative work.

    Reply

  22. 14 year Law Enforcement Officer with an additional 25 years as an Independent Forensic Scientist reconstructing Homicides and testifying about who did what when and where!
    This is absolutely correct and accurate information on HOW YOUR INCIDENT will be dissected, analyzed and JUDGED as to whether YOUR actions were REASONABLE and PROPORTIONATE to the threat you PERCEIVED.
    Last HINT: DO NOT go babbling off a detailed explanation of what happened, immediately after your have been scared sh**less! Your brain is not thinking in a clear, linear fashion until AFTER the adrenaline has worn off! Simply state the basic facts politely, “That man came at me with a knife (or what ever weapon) and was (or yelled that) he was going to kill me! I defended myself! I saw his (weapon) fall right there! Now respectfully Officer, I am very rattled and I need to calm down before I speak about this any further and I request to talk to my (an) attorney.
    Then SHUT UP about what happened until you do talk to an Attorney! If you babble on you may speak the truth, but say it wrong/inappropriately and destroy your LEGAL DEFENSE! “That S.O. B. said he was gonna rip my head off so I pumped two in his stupid ass and dropped him like a rock!” versus after you calmed down and gathered your thoughts and you and your attorney have thoroughly discussed what actually happened from a Legal standpoint! “Officer the man was twice my size, build like the Terminator and was pulling A WEAPON IN HIS WAISTBAND! I drew my Firearm and fired two quick defensive shots to STOP him from shooting me! His weapon fell out of his hand and landed near his feet as he fell!”
    Which of these statements would you as a Juror feel explained a Justifiable Self Defense shooting and which showed a macho, criminal intent to kill the other fellow, who may well have been drawing in Self Defense himself?

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  23. good advice but it would help if the right side of the page were not cut off making reading extremely hard. I can’t believe how hard it is just to write a comment here

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  26. I thank all of you guys for the you take trying to impart important safety information to us. Your wisdom is invaluable to “we the people”.
    You are worth your weight in gold.

    Reply

  27. Thank you for this article. It is very clear and plain English so there is no “legalese” to try to decipher. Also it points out the level of attack and the responding level of defense.

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  29. My God you posted something that truly needed to be brought to the surface so lay people will understand how a Leo is trained to respond,17 yrs. Before being take out do to injury, it brought back a lot of memories of training.

    Reply

  30. This is a clear and concise presentation of the kind of escalation we might have to use, and under which conditions we might have to respond. One thing you and the group may also want to include in these kinds of teaching notes, is the concept of de-escalation and when that is appropriate. As an example, the bad guy verbally threatens, and we use a confident presence approach, until the bad guy throws a punch. We respond with an empty hand hard control punch to a pressure point, which may make the bad guy chicken out, surrender, or flee. If the bad guy then relaxes and explains that his wife is sick and he needs that parking spot to get her some medicine, it might be well to break the contact. Just because we escalated to a soft or hard control mode, we are not allowed to continue to beat the guy up if he surrenders or backs away. The best example of not continuing is, for instance, the bad guy pulls a gun, we pull our legal licensed sidearm, and the bad guy turns tail and runs. We do not have the right to then use lethal force from the weapon fired into the back of the fleeing bad guy. We have the duty, moral and legal, to de-escalate when the threat becomes less. Then again, I’m preaching to the choir on this.
    Thank you for this mini-lesson and review of escalation philosophy.

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  31. Great information.
    I was involved in martial art for 20 years but was lucky enough that I never had to apply it outside the dojo.
    Step 1,2,and 3 were always sufficient.
    The leagal aspect of selfdefense was drilled into us continuously.
    Thanks for a great article.
    H.Klein

    Reply

  32. This is good information that we all can use and I appreciate your sending it to me.
    All of the information you have sent has been of great value.
    Thanks for everything.

    Reply

  34. Thank you so much for your notes and tips that are sent to me.
    I’ve never been faced with any kind of situation where I feared for my life, but we never know when we might be.
    So I thank you so very much for all your good information.
    Sincerely,
    Sherry K.

    Reply

  36. Dear Bob,

    As always thank you for the advice. These are always welcome. Perhaps now that this channel seems to get to you when mother channels seemed not to, just wanted to say that the offers I could not avail of were because your address field does not include the Philippines for shipping. Just wanted you tom know,offer is appreciated.

    SK ROXAS

    Reply

  37. Thanks for this article, I found it vey helpful and although I am in Australia, the tips you have provided are no less valid or valuable.
    Best regards,

    Reply

  40. I always enjoy reading these tips. There’s so much to think about when things get sticky. Thanks.

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  43. Good to know the levels of defensive limitations so that I can avoid becoming the assailant and face possible charges.

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  44. I enjoyed the article. I’m a police detective with 24 years experience and appreciate the time you took to write this. Thanks for your service!!

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  45. Hello Bob. This piece of art is so simply worked I’d like to keep a download! I have an inkling of this piece of looking and seeing how it all unfolds for every situation. One can think and does happen to know this situation at one time or another does happen. I can be a witness and I can be a victim. I enjoyed this piece. Thank you and Thank you. Sincere, Marvin L. Maddess.

    Reply

  47. I agree fully with the civilian side of this discussion. The military side not so much, but the reality of it is that is how it works.

    Remember that you can go through the escalation process in seconds if the person that is looking to do you harm had that intention when you encounter him.

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  49. While I was reading this, I felt that I was reading about myself. A similar thing happened to me as well. Well put, well sad !

    Reply

  50. Besides knowing the Use of Force continuum from lowest level to highest level it is also important to know ( most of us probably do) that every situation is not the same. The point I would like to make is to not lock your mind into thinking “I have to start at the lowest level and can only advance to the next level as the situation allows”. While that is true to some extent the reality is, that you can go from the lowest level to the highest immediately, as the situation dictates. Which also means, as a few have mentioned, that we can go from the highest level to the lowest, as the situation dictates. Knowing the options you have and based on your level of training you may be limited as to which levels you employ.. regardless your goal is to “stop” the aggressor/s all while attempting to use the minimum force necessary and stopping when that force has accomplished the goal.

    Reply