Use of Force
The Use of Force section examines the protocols, training, and legal considerations surrounding the application of force in correctional facilities. This directory offers articles and resources on when and how force is justified, de-escalation techniques, and the impact of force on both staff and inmates. Understanding the use of force is essential for maintaining safety while ensuring that actions comply with legal and ethical standards. For related training, explore our section on Defensive Tactics.
The conviction of the former Southern Regional Jail lieutenant is part of a broader federal investigation that has led to guilty pleas from six other COs
A Lorain County corrections officer is accused of hitting an inmate’s head into a wall; he has been placed on administrative leave
The attorney general usually probes in-custody deaths, but Letitia James said four COs under investigation in the death of Robert Brooks have lawyers from her office
The investigation was opened after deaths in county jails hit a two-decade high last year and other allegations of excessive use of force surfaced
Sheriff said decision to terminate the CO was part of his vow to make “accountability and transparency a top priority”
Arrestee claims it was improper to use a K-9 to assist in a cell extraction because as a patrol dog, it was not trained or certified in forced cell extraction
Sergeant found not liable after breaking inmate’s arm with a baton to end a violent struggle with officers
A separate jury convicted former CO Alex Banta, 30, of similar charges in April
Lawsuit by family members of man who died in custody alleges guards at Monroe’s Richwood Correctional Center beat and pepper-sprayed handcuffed prisoners in area without security cameras
The 25 state correctional officers were accused in 2019 of using excessive force against inmates and functioning as a criminal enterprise in jails around the city
Court ruled a jury could find that punching the inmate in the face and applying pressure to her neck, back and legs after her resistance was controlled was excessive
The incident drew national attention when Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced that the reporter who wrote the story was under criminal investigation
The temporary approval of such tactics is a sign of increasingly desperate conditions inside Louisiana’s aging and understaffed juvenile jails
Alex Banta now faces up to life in prison for actions the jury said led to the death of inmate Larry Earvin
“It is time for the jail culture to stop supporting behaviors that are forbidden by policy,” the monitors wrote
A jury said the sheriff’s office violated the inmate’s rights under federal disability laws by failing to properly train staff
Larry Earvin, whose death was ruled a homicide, died five weeks after the 2018 incident
The coroner’s office said the inmate suffered apparent blunt force trauma, but it was unclear whether that caused his death
Cpl. Jamason Jessie also failed to intervene during the November incident, the sheriff’s office said
The Eighth Amendment controls use of force outside prison walls
The watchdog report came on the same day another report revealed the city spends more than $550K per inmate each year
Robert Garcia, a 12-year law enforcement veteran, said he acted to protect another officer
Nearly 2,000 cases need to be resolved, some of which have been pending for more than three years
The Supreme Court’s Kingsley decision resolved a federal circuit split regarding an “objective reasonableness” standard vs. a “subjective intent” standard
The Supreme Court has ruled that legality of force directed at convicted prisoners by prison officials must include not only an analysis of the nature and degree of the force used, but also a review of the rationale and purpose for the use of force
“He has always stated the only reason he used force was to get the young man under control,’’ said an attorney for one of the COs
Jamal Sutherland died in January after deputies repeatedly used stun guns and kneeled on his back to restrain him
“I feel that I handled it the exact way that I was taught to handle situations like this,” the officer said; city officials disagreed
The unanimous vote gives the county 60 days to either remediate the violations or remove young people
Thirteen staff were suspended in connection with Tyrone Briggs’ 2019 death
“It doesn’t matter how nice the facility is if the people who run the facility don’t know how to properly operate it,” said Derick Allison
The jury found that the sheriff used unreasonable force to punish pretrial detainees on two separate occasions
These laws will cause every law enforcement and corrections agency and all its officers to reconsider the way they go about their jobs
