Weapons designed to control subjects while reducing the risk of death or serious injury are known as?

• A. Deadly force
• B. Ambiguous
• C. Defense of life standard
• D. Less-than-lethal weapons

Answer: (D)

This item tests understanding of less-than-lethal weapons. These are tools officers use to gain control of a subject while aiming to minimize the risk of death or serious injury. The goal is to stop or deter behavior without resorting to deadly force, placing these options between persuasion and lethal measures on the use-of-force spectrum. Examples include Tasers, chemical irritants, and impact or other non-lethal projectiles—designed to incapacitate without intending to cause death, even though injury can occur.

Deadly force refers to actions capable of causing death or serious harm, not a weapon category. The defense of life standard is a policy framework that justifies force when there is an imminent threat to life, rather than naming a type of weapon. Ambiguous is not a standard term used for describing force options.