Legal Definitions - nondeadly force

Nondeadly force refers to the use of physical power or action that is not intended, and is not likely, to cause death or serious bodily injury. It is a level of force applied to achieve a specific objective, such as self-defense, defense of others, or to prevent a crime, without inflicting severe harm.

Here are some examples illustrating nondeadly force:

• Imagine a situation where a person is walking down the street and someone attempts to snatch their backpack. The person being robbed quickly turns and shoves the assailant away, causing them to stumble and drop the backpack, allowing the victim to escape.

  This illustrates nondeadly force because the shove was intended to create distance and stop the theft, not to cause severe injury or death to the assailant. The action was a reasonable and proportionate response to prevent the crime without escalating to a level of force likely to cause serious harm.

• Consider a retail store where a security guard observes a shoplifter attempting to flee with merchandise. The guard approaches the individual, takes hold of their arm, and escorts them back into the store to recover the items and await police. The guard does not strike or injure the person, but firmly controls their movement.

  This is an example of nondeadly force because the guard's actions—taking hold of the arm and escorting—were designed to prevent the theft and detain the individual, not to inflict serious harm. The force used was sufficient to achieve the objective of stopping the shoplifter and recovering property, without being excessive or life-threatening.

• A parent sees their child about to run into a busy street. Reacting instantly, the parent grabs the child's arm firmly and pulls them back to safety, preventing them from entering traffic.

  This demonstrates nondeadly force because the parent's firm grab and pull, while forceful, was solely intended to prevent immediate danger to the child, not to cause injury. The force was necessary and appropriate to protect the child from a potentially deadly situation without causing harm in the process.