In incidents of violent crime, the line between lawful and unlawful use of force can be blurred. There is a clear line between lethal force and lawful force, but how can one be certain of the excess or necessity of force? There are very thorough regulations and codes, due to the complexity of this issue, that work to define the legality of force and in which situations it is legal or illegal. These codes also restrict law enforcement officers’ use of force. They are regulated by unique laws about force because of their duty to protect our communities. If you would like to learn more about this, please check out The Law Office of Brian Jones, LLC

Laws in some states guarantee the right of law enforcement officers to use force if an individual resists arrest or attempts to use force to prevent an arrest. Under these cases, not only can a law enforcement officer use lawful force, but anyone they ask to help them at a time can also be covered using the same laws as the law officer.

Law enforcement may use force in particular circumstances to subdue a person resisting arrest. In self-defense, force is lawful if a person threatens his or her health while resisting arrest. They can also use fair force legally to recapture an escaping felon. These two explanations are also established and understood clearly.

Force can also be used to overtake a fleeing suspect, and under these conditions, even lethal force can be used in some nations. If a police officer or other law enforcement officer has reason to believe that a fleeing felon is dangerous to those around them or has committed a crime in which another person is critically hurt, deadly force might be an effective way of ensuring that no people around them are harmed.