Define "excessive force."

The concept of "excessive force" revolves around the idea that law enforcement officers must use force that is proportionate to the situation they are confronting. Therefore, the correct definition identifies excessive force as the use of force that exceeds what is reasonable or necessary in a given encounter.

In practical terms, law enforcement is expected to evaluate the circumstances of an incident to determine the appropriate level of force to apply. This means that if the force used goes beyond what a reasonable officer would consider necessary to handle a particular situation, it is then categorized as excessive. This definition emphasizes an essential standard in use of force training, which aims to uphold the principles of justice and proportionality in law enforcement actions.

In contrast, definitions that suggest the use of force achieving a desired outcome, meeting legal requirements, or being necessary for law enforcement do not adequately capture the crucial aspect of reasonableness and necessity that delineates excessive from acceptable use of force. The key factor in defining excessive force lies in the assessment of reasonableness relative to the specific context of the encounter.