When can a police officer use deadly force according to the penal law?

A police officer is permitted to use deadly force only when it is necessary to protect life, which establishes a crucial legal and ethical standard regarding the application of such extreme measures. This principle underscores the importance of proportionality in law enforcement actions, emphasizing that deadly force should be a last resort used only in situations where an officer or another individual is facing an imminent threat of serious bodily harm or death.

The necessity criterion ensures that officers must assess the situation carefully. If the threat can be mitigated through less lethal means, those options should be pursued. This standard is aligned with the underlying goal of law enforcement, which is to protect and preserve life while upholding public safety.

In contrast, options that imply broader or less stringent conditions for using deadly force do not align with this principle. For instance, using deadly force during any warrantless arrest does not take into account the circumstances that may or may not necessitate such an action. Similarly, the notion that it can be used for any felony charge disregards the nuances of the severity of different offenses and the threats they might pose at any given moment. The use of deadly force simply to apprehend a suspect does not consider whether that suspect poses an immediate danger to life.

Thus, the correct understanding of