Final answer:
In physics, forces are classified as contact or field forces; contact forces require physical contact and field forces act over distance. Force is also a vector quantity with magnitude and direction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two categories of types of force used by police officers are a) nondeadly and deadly. This classification is distinct from the way forces are categorized in physics. In most physics contexts, forces are grouped into two main categories: contact forces and field forces.
Contact forces require direct physical interaction between objects, such as the force a chair exerts on your body when you sit. On the other hand, field forces act over a distance without the necessity of physical contact, like gravitational force affecting a body within Earth's gravitational field. Additionally, force is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction, which answers another common question about the nature of force.