When is deadly force justified?

• A. When a suspect flees.
• B. When you feel unsafe.
• C. To prevent imminent death or serious bodily harm when no lesser means are available.
• D. When you want to close the case quickly.

Answer: (C)

Deadly force is justified only as a last resort to prevent an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm, and only when no lesser means are available. In practice, this means if someone is actively about to kill you or another person, and there’s no safe alternative—such as retreat, warning, or using nonlethal options—the use of deadly force may be necessary. The threat must be imminent, not something that could happen later, and the force used must be proportional to the danger.

Fleeing alone does not create the immediate danger that justifies deadly force; the risk isn’t ongoing in the moment. Feeling unsafe is subjective and doesn’t meet the objective standard of an imminent threat. Wanting to close the case quickly isn’t a legitimate justification for lethal action.