When is deadly force permissible?

• A. Whenever any level of force is needed.
• B. When there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm and all lesser means have failed or are impracticable; proportionality required.
• C. Whenever the suspect is resisting arrest.
• D. Only when authorized by higher command.

Answer: (B)

Deadly force is allowed only as a last resort when there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm to you or others, and there are no practical or safe alternatives available to stop that threat. The action taken must be proportional to the danger—you use only the amount of force necessary to neutralize the threat.

This means you should attempt lesser means first unless they are clearly ineffective or impractical in the moment. Merely resisting arrest or coercing through force isn’t by itself enough to justify deadly force; the threat itself must be immediate and severe. Higher command approval isn’t required in the heat of the moment when an imminent threat exists, though decisions and actions should be informed by policy and can be reviewed afterward.