(Florida Basic Recruit High Liability Chapter 4_ Defensive Tactics: 2026-2027)
Defensive Tactics a system of controlled defensive and offensive body movements used by criminal justice
officers
What should a student do to maximize the benefit if DT Eat a nutritious diet
training? Get adequate rest
Stay sufficiently hydrated
Cardiovascular Training Any exercise that elevates the heart rate to a range between 60% to 85% of the maximum
rate.
Heart Disease The leading cause of premature death for both men and women.
Chapter 776 F.S. Governs all use of force by criminal justice officers.
Applies equally to Corrections and Correctional Probation Officers
Apprehend a Subject and make an Arrest One of the two general areas in which an officer's use of force is justified
Defend Self or Others One of the two general areas in which an officer's use of force is justified
Objective Reasonableness the process for evaluating the appropriateness of an officer's response to a subject's
resistance.
Appropriate Force the amount of force reasonably necessary to make an arrest.
Graham v. Connor determined that the reasonableness of a particular use of force must be judged from the
perspective of how a reasonable officer on the scene would respond, rather than from the
20/20 perspective of hindsight.
The Supreme Court has made clear Fourth Amendment
that use of force is a seizure under what Amendment?
Correctional officers must also consider that use of force may Eighth Amendment
violate which Amendment with regards to cruel and unusual
punishment?
Much litigation against criminal justice officers is not about Whether the use of
the amount of force used, but what? force was permitted at all.
Compliance the verbal and/or physical yielding to an officer's authority without apparent threat of
resistance or violence.
Escalation increasing the use of force or resistance
De-escalation decreasing the use of force or resistance
3/7/2026, 1:10:13 AM
, (Florida Basic Recruit High Liability Chapter 4_ Defensive Tactics: 2026-2027)
Disengagement discontinuing a command or physical use of force
Force Guidelines provide a framework for making decisions involving the reasonable use of force
by criminal justice officers.
Passive resistance a subject's verbal and/or physical refusal to comply with an officer's lawful direction
causing the officer to use physical techniques to establish control.
Active resistance a subject's use of physically evasive movements directed toward the officer such as
bracing, tensing, pushing, or pulling to prevent the officer from establishing control over
the subject.
Aggressive resistance a subject's attacking movements toward an officer that may cause injury but are not
likely to cause death or great bodily harm to the officer or others.
Deadly force resistance a subject's hostile, attacking movements with or without a weapon that create a
reasonable perception by the officer that the subject intends to cause and has the
capability of causing death or great bodily harm to the officer or others.
Command presence and Can often be used to defuse volatile situations without escalating to force.
verbal communication
Types of Physical Force physical control, the use of nonlethal weapons, and deadly force.
Physical control achieving compliance or custody through the use of empty-hand or leverage-enhanced
techniques, such as pain compliance, transporters, restraint devices, takedowns, and
striking techniques.
nonlethal weapon a weapon that is not fundamentally designed to cause death or great bodily harm.
Examples: ECD, Taser, expandable batons, flashlights, and chemical agent sprays.
Deadly force is force that is likely to cause death or great bodily harm. Some examples of deadly force
include use of a firearm, eye gouges, empty-hand strikes to the throat, and impact-
weapon strikes to the side of
the neck.
What Are the factors for deciding the Use of Deadly Force? Ability
Opportunity
Intent
Ability refers to the subject having the means to carry out his or her intent to cause death or great
bodily harm.
Opportunity means the subject is capable of acting on a plan to cause death or great bodily harm to the
officer or others.
Intent a reasonably perceived, imminent threat to an officer or another person based on the
subject's actions, behaviors, words, or other indicators.
Totality of circumstances a term the court uses to refer to all facts and circumstances known to the officer at the
time, or reasonably perceived by the officer as the basis for, a use of force decision.
3/7/2026, 1:10:13 AM
Defensive Tactics a system of controlled defensive and offensive body movements used by criminal justice
officers
What should a student do to maximize the benefit if DT Eat a nutritious diet
training? Get adequate rest
Stay sufficiently hydrated
Cardiovascular Training Any exercise that elevates the heart rate to a range between 60% to 85% of the maximum
rate.
Heart Disease The leading cause of premature death for both men and women.
Chapter 776 F.S. Governs all use of force by criminal justice officers.
Applies equally to Corrections and Correctional Probation Officers
Apprehend a Subject and make an Arrest One of the two general areas in which an officer's use of force is justified
Defend Self or Others One of the two general areas in which an officer's use of force is justified
Objective Reasonableness the process for evaluating the appropriateness of an officer's response to a subject's
resistance.
Appropriate Force the amount of force reasonably necessary to make an arrest.
Graham v. Connor determined that the reasonableness of a particular use of force must be judged from the
perspective of how a reasonable officer on the scene would respond, rather than from the
20/20 perspective of hindsight.
The Supreme Court has made clear Fourth Amendment
that use of force is a seizure under what Amendment?
Correctional officers must also consider that use of force may Eighth Amendment
violate which Amendment with regards to cruel and unusual
punishment?
Much litigation against criminal justice officers is not about Whether the use of
the amount of force used, but what? force was permitted at all.
Compliance the verbal and/or physical yielding to an officer's authority without apparent threat of
resistance or violence.
Escalation increasing the use of force or resistance
De-escalation decreasing the use of force or resistance
3/7/2026, 1:10:13 AM
, (Florida Basic Recruit High Liability Chapter 4_ Defensive Tactics: 2026-2027)
Disengagement discontinuing a command or physical use of force
Force Guidelines provide a framework for making decisions involving the reasonable use of force
by criminal justice officers.
Passive resistance a subject's verbal and/or physical refusal to comply with an officer's lawful direction
causing the officer to use physical techniques to establish control.
Active resistance a subject's use of physically evasive movements directed toward the officer such as
bracing, tensing, pushing, or pulling to prevent the officer from establishing control over
the subject.
Aggressive resistance a subject's attacking movements toward an officer that may cause injury but are not
likely to cause death or great bodily harm to the officer or others.
Deadly force resistance a subject's hostile, attacking movements with or without a weapon that create a
reasonable perception by the officer that the subject intends to cause and has the
capability of causing death or great bodily harm to the officer or others.
Command presence and Can often be used to defuse volatile situations without escalating to force.
verbal communication
Types of Physical Force physical control, the use of nonlethal weapons, and deadly force.
Physical control achieving compliance or custody through the use of empty-hand or leverage-enhanced
techniques, such as pain compliance, transporters, restraint devices, takedowns, and
striking techniques.
nonlethal weapon a weapon that is not fundamentally designed to cause death or great bodily harm.
Examples: ECD, Taser, expandable batons, flashlights, and chemical agent sprays.
Deadly force is force that is likely to cause death or great bodily harm. Some examples of deadly force
include use of a firearm, eye gouges, empty-hand strikes to the throat, and impact-
weapon strikes to the side of
the neck.
What Are the factors for deciding the Use of Deadly Force? Ability
Opportunity
Intent
Ability refers to the subject having the means to carry out his or her intent to cause death or great
bodily harm.
Opportunity means the subject is capable of acting on a plan to cause death or great bodily harm to the
officer or others.
Intent a reasonably perceived, imminent threat to an officer or another person based on the
subject's actions, behaviors, words, or other indicators.
Totality of circumstances a term the court uses to refer to all facts and circumstances known to the officer at the
time, or reasonably perceived by the officer as the basis for, a use of force decision.
3/7/2026, 1:10:13 AM
