Under what circumstances may an officer draw and point a firearm at a suspect?

• A. When there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm and less-lethal options are not feasible.
• B. Only when the suspect is fleeing.
• C. After a verbal warning only.
• D. Whenever the officer feels like it.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is how warnings fit into the use-of-force decision-making when a firearm may be drawn. Drawing and pointing a firearm is a serious, lethal-force step, so the preferred approach is to warn the suspect first when feasible, giving them a chance to comply and potentially defuse the situation. The option that states drawing and pointing after a verbal warning reflects this stepwise, de-escalation-minded process: warn clearly, assess the threat, and only escalate to lethal force if the situation still requires it to protect life.

Think of it as a sequence: warn if you can, observe the suspect’s response, and proceed with the appropriate level of force based on the threat. The other choices don’t fit that approach. Merely chasing someone who’s fleeing, or using a gun whenever the officer feels like it, ignores the obligation to warn and to use force proportionally. And while an imminent threat can justify decisive action, the policy generally expects a verbal warning when possible before drawing the firearm.