deadly force, as defined by the united states armed forces, is the force which a person uses, causingâor that a person knows, or should know, would create a substantial risk of causingâdeath, serious bodily harm or injury. in most jurisdictions, the use of deadly force is justified only under conditions of extreme necessity as a last resort, when all lesser means have failed or cannot reasonably be employed.afi 31-207 arming and use of force by air force personnelrobert c. ankony, "sociological and criminological theory: brief of theorists, theories, and terms," cfm research, jul. 2012, p.37. firearms, bladed weapons, explosives, and vehicles are among those weapons the use of which is considered deadly force. the use of nontraditional-weapons in an offensive manner, such as a baseball bat, sharp pencil, tire iron or other, may also be considered deadly force. thumb|deputy sheriff with submachine gun "use of deadly force" is often granted to police officers when the person or persons in question are believed to be an immediate danger to people around them. for example, an armed man flaunting a firearm in a shopping mall without regard to the safety of those around him, and refusing or being unwilling to negotiate, would warrant usage of deadly force, as a means to protect others. the use of deadly force is also authorized when a person poses a significant threat to a law enforcement officer, usually when the officer is at risk of serious bodily injury or death. in the united states, this is governed by tennessee v. garner, (u.s. supreme court 1985) which said that "deadly force...may not be used unless necessary to prevent the escape and the officer has probable cause to believe that the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious bodily harm to the officer or others." this case abolished the fleeing felon rule where a fleeing felon who posed no immediate threat to society (e.g., a burglar) could be shot if they refused to halt. in graham v. connor, (u.s. supreme court 1989) the court expanded its definition to include "objective reasonableness" standardânot subjective as to what the officer's intent might have beenâand it must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer at the sceneâand its calculus must embody the fact that police officers are often forced to make split-second decisions about the amount of force necessary in a particular situation. most police agencies establish a use of force continuum and list deadly force as a force of last resort. with this model, agencies try to control excessive use of force. nonetheless in the united states there are a high number of killings by law enforcement officers. in the united states, a [[c
Law_enforcement_agency_powers Self-defense Violence