TCOLE Professional Policing Practice Test

The use-of-force continuum is a graduated set of force options arranged from least to most intrusive, guiding officers to respond with the minimum amount of force necessary to gain control and ensure safety. It isn’t a rigid, single-level policy, and it doesn’t require escalating force after every encounter; instead, it provides proportional steps that fit the situation. Verbal commands and the officer’s presence are typically part of the early steps, with softer control techniques, restraint methods, less-lethal tools, and, only if needed, deadly force as a last resort. The goal is to de-escalate when possible and disengage or de-escalate the threat when safe to do so, while applying the appropriate level of force to gain compliance and protect life.