What must a peace officer believe to justify the use of deadly force against another individual?

The choice regarding the justification for a peace officer's use of deadly force emphasizes the principle that such force is only permissible when absolutely necessary. The correct understanding is that an officer must believe that deadly force is immediately necessary for making an arrest when there is an imminent threat to the officer or others. This means the situation must pose a serious and immediate danger where achieving the arrest through any other means would not be sufficient to mitigate that threat.

When weighing the circumstances, the officer is expected to assess whether the situation warrants such an extreme response, based on the severity of the threat posed by the individual in question. Deadly force is never an option to be taken lightly; it reflects the gravity of the circumstances and the officer’s responsibility to protect not only themselves but also the safety of the public. Therefore, the core requirement is the belief that immediate and lethal action is necessary to protect life and prevent serious harm.