Question #3 Posted by Jeff

Question: How often do officers have to use their guns? When can they use them?

Answer: There are several levels of force that the police use including and up to the use of deadly force. We first attempt to use our voices. This often times diffuses situations where we don’t even need to use a weapon. We also carry pepper spray, a baton, and a Taser in addition to our service weapons. Should the need to draw our weapon occur, we give verbal commands. We repeat commands over and over which often leads to the compliance of a hostile subject. When to use a weapon is on an individual basis and governed by California Penal Code 832. Basically, we are trained to use the amount of force necessary to stop a hostile subject who is using force that is likely to cause death or serious physical harm to ourselves or someone else. We often draw our weapons, but rarely discharge them.