• The law enforcement defense extends only to those people tasked with and legally authorized to enforce laws (i.e., police).

• Today, the right of citizens to use deadly force for crime prevention purposes—or to effect an arrest—is limited to forcible and otherwise “atrocious” felonies.

• The Supreme Court’s 1989 decision in Graham v.

Connor set the standard for evaluating nondeadly force claims.

• The 1985 U.S. Supreme Court case of Tennessee v.
Garner prohibited the use of deadly force against unarmed fleeing felons.

Questions:-

1. What is the law enforcement defense, and who can claim it?
2. Can an ordinary citizen use force and claim a law enforcement defense? If so, when? What about deadly force?