In an ideal scenario it would be preferable to attempt the following options in an effort to avoid escalating to lethal force if possible:
- Attempt to call for backup or solicit additional help which evens the odds
- Remove yourself from the situation to obtain help and come back if it is feasible to do so and if the suspects continuing isn’t an undue danger to the station/crew (i.e; if you’re trying to break up a simple bar scuffle and nobody’s life is in immediate danger, it might be a good idea to quickly slip out and come back with help)
If either of these options fail or are otherwise not practical for the given situation (ex: you are under direct attack), and especially if you are already justified in using lethal force (you believe your life or someone else’s is in danger, etc.), you may escalate to lethal force to protect yourself and effect an arrest. Lethal force escalation also provides a clause for “the suspect is unable to be safely detained by less-lethal means. This includes suspects who continue to resist efforts to be cuffed or suspects who cannot quickly and safely be detained less-lethally”.
Again, it is preferred to attempt alternative options to lethal force where practical, but it should be weighed against the need to immediately stop/arrest the suspects, the severity of the crimes being pursued, and the need to protect yourself, another innocent, or the station at large.
In the case lethal force is used in this manner, you would be expected (to the best of your ability) to attempt to limit the amount of collateral damage and attempt to prevent the suspect(s) from dying. If enough of the suspects were to abandon their attack on you after you deploy lethal force (ex: the second suspect thinks better about getting shot to death and flees the scene while the first suspect has been heavily injured or knocked into critical by your attack) it may be appropriate to de-escalate to something less-lethal instead of further pursuing the suspects with lethal force after immediate danger has passed, however this is up to the totality of the circumstances.