U.S. Capitol Police / Federal Law Enforcement Entrance (FLETC programs) Firearms, Use of Force & Tactical Training Syllabus

What three 'Graham factors' are weighed when assessing reasonable force?

1) The severity of the crime; 2) whether the suspect poses an immediate threat to officers or others; 3) whether the suspect is actively resisting or attempting to evade arrest by flight.

What did Tennessee v. Garner (1985) establish about deadly force against fleeing suspects?

Deadly force may not be used to stop a fleeing felon unless the officer has probable cause to believe the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others.

What are the three elements that together create a deadly-force threat (the threat triangle)?

Ability (capacity to cause harm, e.g., a weapon), Opportunity (proximity/access to use it), and Jeopardy/Intent (the suspect's actions place the officer in imminent danger). All three must be present to justify deadly force.

What is the use-of-force continuum?

A model that escalates and de-escalates an officer's response in proportion to subject resistance — typically: officer presence, verbal commands, soft empty-hand control, hard empty-hand control, less-lethal tools, and finally deadly force.

What is the difference between active resistance and passive resistance?

Passive resistance is a subject who does not comply but does not physically counter the officer (e.g., going limp, refusing to move). Active resistance involves physical actions against the officer's control efforts (e.g., pulling away, tensing, struggling).

What does the OODA Loop describe and why is it relevant to use-of-force decisions?

Observe, Orient, Decide, Act — Colonel John Boyd's decision cycle. Officers aim to make sound decisions faster than the threat ('getting inside the adversary's loop') and recognize that a subject's action is faster than the officer's reaction (action beats reaction).

What does 'action beats reaction' (reactionary gap concept) mean for officers?

It takes longer to perceive and respond to a threat than for a suspect to initiate it, so officers should maintain distance, watch the hands, and anticipate so they aren't fatally behind the action-reaction curve.

What is the recommended minimum reactionary gap for an edged-weapon threat (the '21-foot' concept)?

The Tueller drill demonstrated a person can cover roughly 21 feet in about 1.5 seconds — about the time it takes to draw and fire — so distance under ~21 feet from an edged weapon is a danger zone requiring action (move, create cover, draw early).

What is de-escalation and when should it be attempted?

De-escalation is using time, distance, communication, and tactics to reduce the intensity of a situation and gain voluntary compliance. It should be attempted whenever feasible and safe — when time, distance, and circumstances permit without increasing risk.

How does an OC (oleoresin capsicum / pepper) spray work and what is a key limitation?

OC inflames mucous membranes causing involuntary eye closure, burning, and respiratory irritation. Limitations: delayed onset, wind blowback contaminating the officer, reduced effect on some intoxicated/determined subjects, and cross-contamination.

How does a conducted electrical weapon (CEW/TASER) incapacitate a subject?

It fires probes that deliver an electrical charge causing neuromuscular incapacitation (NMI) — overriding voluntary muscle control so the subject cannot perform coordinated movement during the cycle (typically 5 seconds).

What is the difference between a CEW's 'probe' mode and 'drive-stun' mode?

Probe mode fires two darts that spread to cause neuromuscular incapacitation across a muscle group (most effective). Drive-stun applies the device directly to the body causing pain compliance only, without full incapacitation.

What are common less-lethal impact munitions and their intended use?

Beanbag rounds, foam/rubber baton rounds (40mm), and pepper-ball projectiles — fired to deliver blunt impact or chemical agent at distance to gain compliance against a non-deadly threat while maintaining standoff distance.

What is the proper target area for an impact weapon (baton) strike?

Large muscle groups (thighs, upper arms, forearms, calves) — 'green zones.' Officers avoid the head, neck, spine, sternum, and groin ('red zones') unless deadly force is justified, because strikes there can cause death/serious injury.

What is positional/restraint asphyxia and how is it prevented?

A condition where a restrained subject's breathing is compromised by body position (e.g., prone with weight on the back). Prevented by moving the subject off the stomach into a recovery position as soon as practical and monitoring breathing/medical status.

What immediate post-shooting actions should an officer take after threat neutralization?

Assess and scan for additional threats, conduct a tactical reload, hold the subject at gunpoint/cover, call for backup and medical aid (render aid when safe), secure weapons, and preserve the scene.

What is an officer's duty to provide medical aid after a use of force?

Officers must render or summon emergency medical aid for injured subjects as soon as the scene is safe — a duty reinforced by policy and case law to mitigate harm following any force application.

Why is scene preservation important after a use-of-force incident?

To protect physical evidence (shell casings, weapons, positions), support an accurate investigation and the officer's account, and maintain integrity of the legal/administrative review; nothing should be moved or altered unnecessarily.

What are the typical investigations that follow an officer-involved shooting?

A criminal investigation (was the force lawful), an administrative/internal investigation (did the officer follow policy), and often a civil-liability review — each separate, with the officer afforded applicable rights (e.g., Garrity protections in administrative interviews).

What is the 'Garrity' protection in a post-incident administrative interview?

Garrity v. New Jersey holds that statements an officer is compelled to give under threat of job loss cannot be used against them in a criminal prosecution, separating the administrative inquiry from criminal exposure.

What is a pressure-point control or come-along technique used for?

Applying pressure to nerve points or manipulating joints (wrist/arm locks) to gain pain-compliance and physically guide or 'come-along' a subject with minimal force, used for low-level active resistance.

What is the difference between a control hold and a vascular neck restraint?

A control hold uses leverage on joints/limbs to direct a subject. A vascular (carotid) neck restraint compresses the carotid arteries to reduce blood flow and cause unconsciousness — now banned or restricted by many agencies and often classified as deadly/serious force.

What is the 'survival stress reaction' and its common physiological effects?

The body's sympathetic 'fight-or-flight' response to threat, causing tachycardia, tunnel vision, auditory exclusion, loss of fine motor skills, time distortion, and reduced cognitive processing — which training seeks to manage.

What are the color-coded levels of awareness (Cooper's Color Code)?

White = unaware/unprepared; Yellow = relaxed alertness (recommended baseline on duty); Orange = specific alert/potential threat identified; Red = ready to act on the threat. (Some add Black = condition of breakdown/panic.)

What are the basic principles of cover versus concealment?

Cover stops or deflects bullets (engine block, brick wall, curb). Concealment only hides you from view (bushes, drywall, a wooden door) but does not stop rounds. Officers seek cover, and never confuse concealment for protection.

What is the 'combat mindset' or warrior/guardian survival mindset?

The mental commitment to win and survive a deadly encounter — refusing to give up, expecting to prevail, and being psychologically prepared to use force decisively when justified; mindset is considered the most critical survival factor.

What are the principles of contact and cover officer roles?

The contact officer handles the subject (commands, search, cuffing, paperwork) while the cover officer maintains awareness, distance, and a position of advantage to react to threats — preventing both officers from being distracted simultaneously.

What is 'slicing the pie' (pieing) when clearing a corner or doorway?

A method of clearing an angle incrementally by moving in a slight arc around the corner, exposing and visually clearing small slices of the room one at a time while minimizing your own exposure before committing to entry.

What is a 'fatal funnel' in building entry?

The doorway/threshold and the immediate channeled area where an entering officer is silhouetted and most exposed to fire from inside. Officers minimize time in it by clearing what they can first and moving through quickly to a point of domination.

What is the recommended response priority for an active shooter/active threat?

Stop the killing first — officers move directly to the threat to neutralize it (even solo or before full backup), then stop the dying (provide/escort medical aid), rather than waiting to set up as in older barricade/containment doctrine.

In active-threat response, what is the difference between contact teams and rescue teams?

Contact teams move toward and neutralize the threat. Rescue task force teams (often with EMS under protection) follow to triage, treat, and evacuate casualties from warm zones once the contact team has addressed the immediate threat.

What are the key principles of approaching a vehicle on a traffic stop for officer safety?

Position the patrol car offset, approach with awareness of traffic, watch the occupants' hands, use the door post/window pillar, avoid standing in the 'kill zone' even with the door frame, and consider a passenger-side approach in high-risk/dark conditions.

Why should officers avoid shooting from inside or staying behind a vehicle door for cover?

Standard car doors and glass are concealment, not cover — most pistol and rifle rounds penetrate them. Better cover is the engine block/wheel area, and officers should move to true cover rather than rely on the door.