Over the past couple of years, police use of deadly force has become a highlight in mainstream media. This topic has gathered so much attention, that it is now a highly controversial issue. The guidelines for the use of deadly force are very strict, yet are vague and entirely based on the situation in which police officers are dealing with. These guidelines place different restrictions on police officers depending on what type of suspect they are pursuing or attempting to arrest. There is also the moral and ethical viewpoints and standards to take into account with the use of deadly force. If an officer uses deadly force against a person of a different color out of spite then that is unethical, immoral, and illegal. There are several guidelines in which police officers must abide by in the use of deadly force, such as the rule of law, moral and ethical …show more content…
In my opinion it is, for many reasons, officers cannot predict how a suspect will act in a confrontation leading up to their arrest. The suspect could become violent in a matter of seconds, leaving the officers with a split-second decision to use deadly force. This decision could be life or death for the police officer. Police officers have just as much right to protect their lives as everyone else. I try to perceive myself as a police officer in a situation where I had to choose to use lethal force or face death at the hands of someone I have never wronged, but only have interaction with due to my job. I, just as I am certain most everyone would do, would choose to use lethal force in order to sustain my own life. But not every situation calls for lethal force, and I believe that police officers could do with a little extra training in the methods of non-lethal subjugation. In closing, I would state that deadly force should be viewed as a last resort and used only when the police officer believes that no other method will