Use of Force & Officer Safety

De-escalation, proportional force, responsible equipment use, backup, and the limits on taser and weapon use.

Force is a last resort, not a first response. The goal is to control the situation with the least force that works, and to keep yourself and the public safe.

Mandatory

·No random shooting. No unjustified taser use. No force because a player is being difficult.
·Force must be proportional to the threat and justified by the roleplay situation.
·All use of force is reported in the NSRP Discord before the shift ends.

De-escalation

·Talk first. Most situations resolve with clear, calm commands.
·Give the suspect a chance to comply before you escalate.
·Lower your voice rather than raising it. A calm officer calms the scene.
·De-escalation is not weakness. It is the standard.

Noncompliance versus an immediate threat

Reading the situation

Behavior	Response
Refusing to answer questions	No force. Continue the stop, note the refusal.
Refusing to step out of the car	Repeat the command, request backup, do not drag them out for a minor stop.
Tensing up, pulling away from cuffs	Minimum control force to cuff; no strikes.
Producing or reaching for a weapon	Immediate threat. Respond with proportional force and backup.
Lunging or attacking a trooper	Immediate threat. Defend, call backup, contain.

Proportional responses

·Match the force to the threat, not to your frustration.
·A compliant suspect gets no force. A resisting but unarmed suspect gets control force only.
·An armed or attacking suspect justifies a higher response, but you stop when the threat stops.
·Once the suspect is controlled, force ends. Continuing after control is excessive.

Weapons and equipment

·The taser is for an actively resisting or threatening suspect, not for compliance on a calm player.
·Firearms are for an immediate deadly-force threat. Do not draw on every stop.
·Do not fire into traffic or toward uninvolved players.
·Do not use department equipment outside a justified encounter.

Justified taser: a suspect actively fighting a trooper.

Unjustified taser: a driver who is slow to step out but not fighting.

When to request backup

·Any threat of a weapon, any fight, any multiple-suspect situation: call backup before you engage if you can.
·A single trooper facing an armed suspect holds cover and waits for backup rather than rushing.
·Call a supervisor for any use-of-force incident that will need a report.

High-risk encounters

·Stay behind cover. Use your patrol car, a wall, or distance.
·Communicate your position and the suspect's actions to backup.
·After the encounter, secure the scene, check for injuries, and call EMS if needed.
·File a use-of-force report no matter how minor the force seemed.

Force rules follow NSRP's server regulations and the equipment ERLC provides. If a tool is not in the server, you do not have it.