Question

Scenario: David is a patrol officer with the Dallas Police Department.

While patrolling southeast Dallas, Officer David sees a man running out
of a house on the corner of main and 3rd st. A woman stumbles out of the
house and yells, "Help! I have been robbed!" David immediately reports
the crime in progress to dispatch and requests a back up. The male enters
a dark green Chevrolet pick up and as the suspect pulls the vehicle onto
the roadway, Officer David follows the vehicle and asks dispatch to verify
the licene plates. Dispatch advises the vehicle belongs to Lonny Smith
who is well known by all of Dallas PD. as a hardened criminal who has
fired his weapon on more than three separate occasions in a battle to
resist arrest. Back up units arrive, Officer David and back up officers
initiate a felony stop. The suspect jumps out of the car and tries to run
away without displaying any type of weapon, are the officers justified in
displaying and using deadly force against the suspect? Why or why not

Answer 1

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Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the scenario provided, it is not clear whether the officers are justified in using deadly force against the suspect as the suspect has not displayed any weapon. In general, the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers is only justifiable when the officer reasonably believes that the suspect poses an imminent threat of serious physical harm to the officer or others.

In this case, while Lonny Smith is a known criminal who has previously fired his weapon during an arrest, he has not displayed any weapon or made any threatening gestures towards the officers. Therefore, the use of deadly force would be difficult to justify, and the officers should exhaust all other options before resorting to lethal force.

The officers should attempt to apprehend the suspect using less-lethal force, such as verbal commands, physical force, or non-lethal weapons like pepper spray or a Taser. If the suspect resists arrest or attempts to flee, the officers may pursue and attempt to apprehend him, but they should not use deadly force unless they reasonably believe that the suspect poses an imminent threat of serious physical harm to them or others.

It is important for law enforcement officers to use good judgment and follow established protocols when dealing with potentially dangerous situations to ensure that they uphold the law and protect both the public and themselves.