Research
SPRING | 2026
Reasonability-of-Force Assessments Mediate the Link Between Police Experience and Use-of-Force Decision Making
Spring | 2026
When engaging in the use of force, officers must make rapid, appropriate decisions under dynamic and stressful conditions. Previous use of force research has found experienced officers make ‘more precise, efficient, and successful’ decisions than less experienced officers. This study sought to replicate other research findings to empirically determine the ‘ability of experienced officers to better predict when force is not needed and when it is appropriate to escalate to higher levels.’
To accomplish this, researchers tested two groups composed of 42 ‘experienced’ officers and 35 ‘less experienced’ officers who recently completed basic academy training. Officers viewed body-worn camera recordings. The recordings were stopped at three ‘decision points’ and officers were asked “If you were handling this situation, what would you do in the next few seconds?” The officer would type their responses in a text box.
After the BWC footage was completed officers were asked to rate the greatest level of resistance and relevant factors that determined their responses. As part of this, officers were asked to identify the relevant factors that determined their decision on the level of force:
- The threat was imminent
- The threat was severe
- The person had greater size, strength, and fighting skill
- The person was under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Weapons or weapons of opportunity (improvised weapons) were nearby
- The offense was serious
- Injury of officer was likely
- Escape was likely
- Presence of multiple subjects and/or hostile bystanders
- Opportunities for force mitigation (i.e. time, cover, and distance)
- Backup was available.
Analysis of the officers’ responses found experienced officers were more likely to employ verbal commands as compared with less experienced officers who were more likely to use less lethal and lethal force. The researchers noted ‘a more complex link between officer experience and the use of force selection’. They also found ‘experienced officers were more likely to use force when nearby weapons were available’.
When making a use of force decision, three factors differentiated the responses of the two groups: assessment of whether force mitigation was available, nearby weapons, and subject resistance.
The findings from this empirically based study provide insights into police officers’ use of force decision-making and enable officers to “efficiently and effectively identify force mitigation opportunities, identify and eliminate potential weapons/weapons of opportunity earlier, or gain better control of resisting subjects and decrease the likelihood of escape.”
Vivia P. Ta-Johnson, Brian Lande, Joel Suss, Amelia Motzer, Zuzana Smilnakova, Isavella Swafford, Isabel Krupica, Sophie Rosof, Esther DeCero, Carolynn Boatfield, Xinya Wang, Laren Wright, Ceanna Loberg, Wiktoria Pedryc, Nilufar Imomdodova, Xianru Yu, and Matías Fonolla, ‘Reasonability-of-Force Assessments Mediate the Link Between Police Experience and Use-of-Force Decision Making’, The Police Journal: Theory, Practice, and Principles, 2025, DOI:10.1177/0032258X251379229
