Legal Definitions - deadly force

Deadly force refers to any level of force that, under the circumstances in which it is used, is reasonably likely to cause death or serious bodily injury.

Serious bodily injury typically means an injury that creates a substantial risk of death, causes serious permanent disfigurement, or results in protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ. This concept is crucial in criminal law, particularly when evaluating self-defense claims, police use-of-force incidents, or the severity of certain criminal acts.

• Example 1: Civilian Self-Defense

  A homeowner discovers an intruder inside their house late at night. The intruder lunges at the homeowner with a knife. Fearing for their life, the homeowner fires a shotgun at the intruder.

  Explanation: The act of firing a shotgun at a person is considered deadly force because a shotgun blast is inherently designed to cause severe trauma, which is highly likely to result in death or serious bodily injury.

• Example 2: Law Enforcement Action

  During a high-speed chase, a suspect attempts to ram a police cruiser off the road, endangering the officers and other drivers. An officer in the cruiser, believing their lives and the lives of others are in imminent danger, fires their service pistol at the tires of the suspect's vehicle to disable it, but a stray bullet strikes the driver.

  Explanation: While the intent might have been to disable the vehicle, firing a pistol at a moving vehicle where a person is present is considered deadly force. The act of discharging a firearm at another person or into an occupied vehicle carries a substantial risk of causing death or serious bodily injury, regardless of the precise target.

• Example 3: Criminal Assault

  During an argument, one individual grabs a heavy metal baseball bat and repeatedly strikes another person in the head and upper body.

  Explanation: Repeatedly striking someone with a heavy object like a baseball bat, especially targeting vulnerable areas such as the head, creates a very high likelihood of causing severe brain trauma, skull fractures, or other critical injuries that could easily lead to death or permanent incapacitation. Therefore, this action constitutes deadly force.