ABSTRACT
Police use of force has always been a controversial subject. Ideology aside, the reality is the police must be allowed to use force when necessary and they must be allowed to exercise discretion in deciding what force is necessary under the circumstances. The controversy stems from such discretion for the most part. Admittedly, some people simply make bad decisions, and wearing a police uniform does not guarantee better decision making. When the police make a decision to use force, especially deadly force, the consequences are often irrevocable even when it turns out to be a bad decision. A simple search for “police brutality” on You Tube can bring up a variety of examples. We will not dwell on that in this chapter. Instead, the focus is on how the use of nonlethal weapons may or may not help reduce controversies surrounding police use of force.
