Suburban Law Enforcement Academy (SLEA) BA State Certification Practice Exam

The reasonableness of actual force is associated with which legal case?

1. Tennessee v Garner

2. Graham v Connor

3. Brown v Board of Education

4. New Jersey v TLO

The correct answer is: Graham v Connor

The reasonableness of actual force is primarily associated with the case of Graham v. Connor. In this landmark decision, the Supreme Court established the standard for evaluating claims of excessive force in the context of law enforcement, stating that such claims should be judged under the "objective reasonableness" standard based on the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than with the 20/20 vision of hindsight. This means that officers are to be assessed based on the information they had at the moment of the confrontation, taking into account the totality of the circumstances surrounding the incident. The decision clarified that the use of force by police officers must be evaluated in light of the specific context of each situation, emphasizing the importance of considering factors such as the severity of the crime, whether the suspect poses an immediate threat to officers or others, and whether the suspect is actively resisting arrest or attempting to flee. This case has become a foundational precedent in discussions and legal analyses related to police use of force, shaping how law enforcement agencies develop their policies and training. The other cases listed, while significant in their respective contexts, do not directly address the reasonableness standard for the use of force by law enforcement. For instance, Tennessee v. Garner pertains to the