Which court case is the standard of reasonableness for use of force?

• A. Turner v. State
• B. Graham V. Connor
• C. Terry v. Ohio
• D. Katz v. United States

Answer: (B)

This question tests the standard of reasonableness police must meet when using force under the Fourth Amendment. The best answer is Graham v. Connor, which established the objective reasonableness standard for assessing use-of-force claims. Under this approach, evaluating officers must judge the force used from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, with the information available at the time, rather than applying hindsight. The assessment relies on the totality of the circumstances and weighs factors such as the severity of the crime, whether the suspect posed an immediate threat, and whether the suspect was actively resisting or attempting to evade arrest. These principles keep the analysis grounded in real-world conditions officers face.

Terry v. Ohio addresses stop-and-frisk based on reasonable suspicion, not the broader use-of-force standard. Katz v. United States deals with privacy and searches, not the use-of-force framework. Turner v. State is not the controlling Supreme Court standard for use of force.