FL – Use of Force: Leadership, Decision Making and Review

Palm Beach State College – FL
Use of Force: Leadership, Decision Making and Review
Nov 12 – 13, 2025
8:00am to 1630pm 

Joseph Tata Jr.
Advanced and Specialized Training Career
Coordinator Criminal Justice Institute
Palm Beach State College

Dear Mr. Tata,

It was both an honor and a pleasure to present our professional development program, Use of Force: Leadership, Decision Making and Review, held on Nov. 12-13, 2025 at the Palm Beach State College, Criminal Justice Institute.  

The training was extremely well received, with all attending officers actively engaged throughout the program. Their enthusiasm, professionalism, and commitment to learning were evident and played a significant role in the overall success of the course. A review of the course evaluations reflects overwhelming satisfaction, which I’ve summarized and attached for your reference.

A special thank you and the entire support team for their outstanding coordination and hospitality. Their attention to detail ensured a seamless experience for both instructors and participants.

Thank you for your trust and confidence in hosting our professional development training. We look forward to continuing our partnership and providing additional courses in the future.

Student Evaluation Summary

 A review of the evaluations collected and analyzed we are extremely pleased to see that 100% of all categories were rated at the highest level of 5 Very good.

Below is the summary of the comments l and feedback from the attending students.

• I wouldn’t change a thing. You know when an instructor is passionate about what they do when you see it. Excellent class!
• Excellent course, I wish more agencies and administrators took this class and or implemented the material.
• Great course, highly recommend.
• Lieutenant Dillon is passionate, knowledgeable and articulate about the subject. Great class, spread the word more classes from him. Outstanding course. Many aspects of the use of force are touched upon. Lieutenant Dillon knows more about this subject than most instructors.
• Bring this training to the area more often
• Great for first year supervisors and refresher. Fresh ideas to antiquated practices. Add more classes to the calendar year.
• This course is extremely beneficial. I enjoyed the visuals and the videos, EIS info, perception, limbic system, deadly force, neural aspects behind the why and importance of documentation among other things. Lieutenant Dillon was engaging in direct. I plan to use practices learned within my agency
• As a command staff member, educated to me to look at incidents with a broader perspective and examine the officers mind site and actions
• Go through an actual use of force report to get the actual verbiage that an officer should use in the narrative part of the report.
• Great course, provided knowledge and case studies. The material was delivered in an orderly and great fashion.
• Awesome class period very beneficial for my current role of reviewing use of force reports and conducting trainings. Would highly recommend to supervisors and trainers.

Course Synopsis:  

In today’s environment, every use of force incident is placed under a microscope—often dissected frame by frame and judged by individuals who may lack the necessary training or context. This scrutiny can fuel distrust and spread false narratives, making it more important than ever for leaders and trainers to approach these incidents with accuracy, expertise, and objectivity.

The analysis, investigation, and training related to police use of force remain some of the most complex and evolving challenges in our profession. This intensive 2-day training is designed for all ranking officers, internal affairs investigators, and trainers responsible for reviewing, evaluating, or instructing on use of force incidents. Regardless of rank or assignment, the skills taught in this course apply directly to anyone in a leadership or oversight role.

Through lectures, case studies, and live demonstrations, participants will gain actionable insights and proven strategies for navigating the modern challenges of use of force incidents. The course emphasizes evidence-based analysis, accurate reporting, and legally sound decision-making—tools essential for both defending appropriate actions and addressing deficiencies when they occur.

Through a combination of lectures, real-world case studies, participants will gain practical insights and proven strategies to effectively assess and respond to modern use of force challenges. Topics include legal standards, human performance under stress, liability reduction through documentation, and decision-making frameworks for field application and training.  “One improper technique can change a county.”

Course Objectives
1. Discuss define the legal applications of use of force.
2. Identify and explain the legal statutes governing use of force.
3. Discuss the three components of Graham v. Connor (490 U.S. 386, 397) and their application to use-of-force situations.
4. Explain the legal standards for applying non-deadly force to achieve physical control and restraint.
5. Analyze Kingsley v. Hendrickson (576 U.S. 389, 2015) and its seven objective considerations regarding use of force.
6. Define the “objective reasonableness” standard and interpret its application in Tennessee v. Garner (471 U.S. 1, 11).
7. Describe the psycho-physiological dynamics of violent encounters and their impact on close-quarters engagements.
8. Discuss and identify Myths vs. facts in use of force assessments
9. Analyze use-of-force incidents by examining the quality, frequency, and timeliness of force application.
10. Discuss risk management strategies for physical engagements to ensure safety, efficiency, and accountability.
11. Implement early intervention tracking systems for identifying patterns and practices in use-of-force incidents.
12. Learn to quantify force mitigation tactics and de-escalation efforts to identify patterns of proficiency.
13. Develop effective response strategies for special populations, including individuals with mental illness, disabilities, or other unique needs.
14. Identify and apply the five key steps to reviewing use-of-force incidents.
15. Analyze how inaccurate policies are incorporated into case law and discuss strategies to prevent such occurrences.
16. Understand how to avoid incidents similar to Eric Garner or George Floyd through use of force analysis to identify contextual needs.
17. Evaluate the steps necessary to identify foreseeable incidents and mitigate risks before they occur.
18. Define and categorize sixteen key terms related to police use of force to ensure clarity and consistency in reporting and training.
19. Discuss the human performance factors that impact decision-making and actions under high-stress encounters.
20. Learn what to track in police use-of-force reports to ensure accuracy and actionable insights.
21. Learn the anatomy of a police takedown and grounding techniques for investigative purposes.
22. Debunk myths surrounding prone restraint and sudden in-custody deaths and explore evidence-based strategies to prevent them.
23. Develop coordination and effective engagement strategies for multiple-officer encounters.
24. Recognize the importance of training measurements and performance evaluations, emphasizing the principle: “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”
25. Address the challenges and current practices for video recording in use-of-force situations, including its role in reporting and investigations.
26. Gain actionable insights on the tracking, trending, and analysis of use-of-force incidents to improve accountability and performance.
27. Plus more.
Course Flier
Outside Region REGISTRATION

ONLY $495.00

Registration in Palm Beach College area MUST be through your agency training department or coordinator. 

Completed registrations may be emailed on agency letterhead to: CJTRAINING@palmbeachstate.edu.
Contact : Joseph Tata Jr.
Advanced Career Training Law Enforcement/Corrections Coordinator.
4200 Congress Ave.  Lake Worth, FL  33461
 tataj@palmbeachstate.edu  561-868-3398

LOCATION of TRAINING:

Your lectures and training sessions have evolved over the years to now include a totality of law enforcement experiences in actual physical confrontations at the street level where Human Dynamics, Psychomotor Skills, and Physiology Factors are involved in decision-making for our law enforcement officers, and gives us a better understanding on WHY? law enforcement officers engage in physical force. Many times, I have to attest to my training in front of judges to qualify as an expert-witness in criminal litigation against law enforcement officers, where government attorneys attempt to get me disqualified. Just recently, a Federal District Court judge in Washington DC questioned me on my expertise and training I received, I immediately through your name out to the judge and continued to explain your training, knowledge and expertise in this field. That your training instruction has developed over the years to be more inclusive dealing with physical confrontations of law enforcement officers, as well as the human factors we go through in physical confrontations. The judge was impressed, and I did get qualified as an expert-witness.

Trevor R. Hewick – Retired MPDC Detective Grade