Training must include a myriad of things that can prevent the need for force as well, but it is the use of force, improperly applied, that causes the most concern for the public.
NIJ
An officer’s goal is to regain control as soon as possible while protecting the community. Use of force is an officer’s last option — a necessary course of action to restore safety in a community when other practices are ineffective.
PERF
A psychophysiological intervention program, built on the trauma resilience model, improved officers’ use of force decision-making in a “shoot/don’t shoot” exercise, which researchers hypothesize is the result of enhanced physiological control and situational awareness.
PERF
Job stress may also impair officers’ decision-making abilities, particularly in use of force incidents. Officers with PTSD symptoms experience greater difficulty than officers without such symptoms in distinguishing important and unimportant factors in dangerous situations