Use of Force

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is committed to preserving human life and dignity in a fair and unbiased manner while upholding the rights protected by the Constitution of the United States, and federal and state law.

Sometimes it is necessary for Department members to use force in self-defense, defense of others, and during the execution of lawful duties. When Department members use force, they may only use that amount of force that is objectively reasonable, proportional, and which reasonably appears necessary at the time to defend others or themselves, effect an arrest or detention, prevent escape, or overcome resistance.

The use of force against vulnerable people (children, elderly persons, pregnant people, people with physical or developmental disabilities, people with mental health disabilities, etc.) can particularly undermine public trust and should be used as a last resort. Like any other use of force, the Department will consider the totality of the circumstances when evaluating a Department member’s use of force against a vulnerable person.

The Department is committed to lawful, professional, and ethical standards before, during, and after force incidents. These include efforts to prevent force when safe to do so, tactical planning where appropriate, and objective review after every force incident.

Patrol Divisions

Custody Division

Custody Division: Quarter Four Report: Part I - 2017 - PDF
This report reflects the number of force incidents, public complaints and commendations, Average Daily Inmate Population, and inmate deaths.

Custody Division: Quarter Four Report: Part II - 2017 - PDF
This report reflects prevented use of force, inmate grievances, assaults on staff, and assaults of staff by gassing.

Custody Division: Quarter Four Report: Part III – 2017 - PDF
This report reflects total inmate grievances, general grievances, and grievances against staff.

Custody Division: Quarter Three Report: Part I - 2017
This report reflects the number of force incidents, public complaints and commendations, Average Daily Inmate Population, and inmate deaths.

Custody Division: Quarter Three Report: Part II - 2017 - PDF
This report reflects prevented use of force, inmate grievances, assaults on staff, and assaults of staff by gassing.

Custody Division: Quarter Three Report: Part III – 2017 - PDF
This report reflects total inmate grievances, general grievances, and grievances against staff.

Custody Division: Quarter Two Report: Part I - 2017 - PDF
This report reflects the number of force incidents, public complaints and commendations, Average Daily Inmate Population, and inmate deaths.

Custody Division: Quarter Two Report: Part II - 2017 - PDF
This report reflects prevented use of force, inmate grievances, assaults on staff, and assaults of staff by gassing.

Custody Division: Quarter Two Report: Part III - 2017 - PDF
This report reflects total inmate grievances, general grievances, and grievances against staff.

Custody Division: Quarter One Report: Part I - 2017 - PDF
This report reflects the number of force incidents, public complaints and commendations, Average Daily Inmate Population, and inmate deaths.

Custody Division: Quarter One Report: Part II - 2017 - PDF
This report reflects prevented use of force, inmate grievances, assaults on staff, and assaults of staff by gassing.

Custody Division: Quarter One Report: Part III - 2017 - PDF
This report reflects total inmate grievances, general grievances, and grievances against staff.

This report has been duplicated in Custody Reports as well as in Use of force Pages for tracking purposes.

Special Operations Division

Transit Policing Division Report January through June 2017

This report reflects the number of force incidents, public complaints, and commendations which occurred from January through June of 2017

Note:Field Operations – Includes North Patrol Division, Central Patrol Division, South Patrol Division, East Patrol Division, Transit Policing Division, Court Services Division and Countywide Services Division.  Does not include Technology and Support Division, Administrative Services Division, Personnel Command, Custody Division, Detective Division, Special Operations Division and Professional Standards and Training Division.

Use of Force - Category 3

Category 3 Force involves any of the following: All shootings in which a shot was intentionally fired at a person by a Department member; Any type of shooting by a Department member which results in a person being hit; Force resulting in admittance to a hospital; Any death following a use of force by any Department member; All head strikes with impact weapons; Kick(s), delivered from a standing position, to an individual’s head with a shod foot while the individual is lying on the ground/floor; Knee strike(s) to an individual’s head deliberately or recklessly causing their head to strike the ground, floor, or other hard, fixed object; Deliberately or recklessly striking an individual’s head against a hard, fixed object, Skeletal fractures, with the exception of minor fractures of the nose, fingers or toes, caused by any Department member; All canine bites; or Any force which results in a response from the IAB Force/Shooting Response Team, as defined in MPP section 3-10/130.00.