During a pursuit, what must you continuously do?

During a pursuit, what must you continuously do?

• A. Apply the test of reasonableness.
• B. Use force if necessary.
• C. Keep radio silence.
• D. Drive at maximum speed.

Answer: (A)

In a pursuit, decisions must be guided by continuously applying the test of reasonableness. This means you constantly assess whether continuing the pursuit is necessary and proportional given the dangers to the public, the suspect, and yourself. You weigh factors like speed, traffic, weather and road conditions, visibility, time of day, presence of bystanders, and available equipment or containment options. If the risk to bystanders or officers becomes too great, the reasonable action may be to terminate or shift to containment rather than insisting on chasing at any cost. This standard—judging actions by their reasonableness under the total circumstances—drives every decision in a pursuit, including whether to continue, modify, or stop, and it also governs the use of force if ever needed.

In a pursuit, decisions must be guided by continuously applying the test of reasonableness. This means you constantly assess whether continuing the pursuit is necessary and proportional given the dangers to the public, the suspect, and yourself. You weigh factors like speed, traffic, weather and road conditions, visibility, time of day, presence of bystanders, and available equipment or containment options. If the risk to bystanders or officers becomes too great, the reasonable action may be to terminate or shift to containment rather than insisting on chasing at any cost. This standard—judging actions by their reasonableness under the total circumstances—drives every decision in a pursuit, including whether to continue, modify, or stop, and it also governs the use of force if ever needed.