Legal Principles for Correctional Officers – Law, Rights, and Liability Practice Test

Deadly force is defined as force that could cause death or serious bodily harm. When a firearm is used, the targets that fit this definition are those that could pose an imminent risk to life—typically a person threatening you or others, or a vehicle being used to threaten or cause harm. A building by itself isn’t a direct source of lethal danger, and an animal or a piece of equipment doesn’t inherently present an immediate risk of death or serious injury in the same way a person or threatening vehicle does. So, the only target category that fits the standard definition in this context is a person or vehicle.