Which standard is used to evaluate a peace officer's use of force under the Fourth Amendment?

• A. Subjective belief of the officer
• B. Objective reasonableness
• C. Strict liability
• D. Probable cause

Answer: (B)

Under the Fourth Amendment, use of force by a peace officer is judged by objective reasonableness. This means courts look at how a reasonable officer on the scene would have acted given the facts and circumstances confronted at that moment, not the officer’s personal beliefs or post‑incident conclusions. The assessment uses the totality of the circumstances—factors like the seriousness of the crime, whether the suspect posed an immediate threat, and whether the suspect resisted or attempted to flee—to determine if the force used was reasonable. It’s an objective standard; it isn’t based on the officer’s subjective mindset, nor is it a strict liability standard or driven by probable cause, which serves different purposes in policing.