MI – Use of Force: Leadership Decision-Making and Review

Oakland County Sheriff’s – MI
Hosts
Use of Force: Leadership Decision-Making and Review
June 3-4, 2025   0830 – 1630 Hours

What the Students had to say!

Student Evaluation Summary

Please provide a written comment on the quality of the presentation?

• Instructor clearly knows what he is talking about his passion and wants to give you this knowledge to others, thank you Kevin!
• I thought it was a great class.
• Excellent insight into all facets of use of force from deployment to review.
• Great presentation extensive content.
• Instructor was engaging and kept us interested.
• Good use of relevant incidents in source information. Easy to follow and each subject led well into the other.
• Very well put together. Examples were relatable in thought provoking.
• As always, a great presentation. Excellent explanation of material.
• Information is well presented and solid.
• Kevin is always well prepared with written materials for the student and easy to follow PowerPoints. Kevin does a phenomenal job relating the material to everyday situations in on the job incidents.
• Great presentation with many videos I have not previously seen. Typically police training utilize the same, overplayed videos. KD kept the video in presentation fresh.
• The presentation was well organized, well delivered in held students attention. Good information, particularly at the end. Some DT info could be removed.
• Knows the material in and out. Gave excellent examples through real life situation and videos and stories.
• The instructor is very passionate, which keeps people interested.
• Absolutely great info for report writing purposes. Kevin is a very dynamic constructor. The way he presents the material keeps you interested.
• Kevin is a passion instructor in shares real world stories and examples that bring reality and in some cases, an emotional response. The videos provide great examples for the course content.

Please assess the instructors of this program. (Lt. Kevin Dillon (ret) 

• This was presented very well, the book was a great tool to take notes in. You never lost my attention.
• KD is a great presenter. Probably the best use of force instructor I’ve ever seen.
• KD did a great job teaching the material and keeps our attention.
• Very knowledgeable in presented up-to-date material.
• KD is an inspirational speaker. Relates source material to personal experience in real time scenarios, and known problem areas.
• I was hoping this would give us a structured way to do after the fact use of force reviews of our officers.
• Instructor is knowledgeable and proficient in the material he teaches.
• KD is a great instructor. Very applicable examples to explain the topic at hand.
• Kevin keeps it entertaining, great stories.
• Delivered material with energy and passion which was refreshing. Good use of case studies videos.
• Updated through current times, applicable to today Today’s day and age.
• Kevin is awesome! Just outstanding! His vast knowledge and experience on the material is top notch!
• Very thorough with a lot of training and work experience.
• Engaging 

Please explain how this training will enable you to change or improve your present assignment. 

• It will work to improve my skills in neural pathways by training more. This also helps me when reviewing use of force reports, I will look at them with new eyes now
• This will help me while reviewing use of force reports.
• This training provided information not considered previously during incident review period report first video second definitely was a great idea.
• More consideration in perceptions
• I will be able to help my officers articulate the reports better.
• This training helps explain the why in a legal and practical manner which will help me teach our LOCKUP class. Also helping guide our cell extraction team perform better and write  RTR reports to reflect our already stellar incident response.
• Looking into documenting the escalation whether it resulted in a report or not jail setting – to show an inmate was “talk to” or” talked down” X # at times before a chairing, hands on or extraction was deemed necessary.
• Extremely valuable information in reviewing use of force incidents explaining officer perceptions.
• Currently OCSO is tracking with most of what Kevin is presenting. Most of our command has made training and policies of these programs.
• As an instructor for our agency defensive tactics, this class further develops my knowledge of different aspects of use of force. This gives me the ability to relay this info to our other deputies during in-service and future DT training.
• As a Lieutenant who reviews use of force incidents this training is critical. Definitely needed for anyone who reviews use of force incidents.
• Very good info to ensure RTR incidents are investigated reported thoroughly. Good info on language, being important in policies.
• Proper assess RTR incidents review and track them accurately.
• Correct terminologies and improved training.
• This training will help me change how I interpret my deputies perception maybe when they use force.
• The info presented will help me better when it comes to reviewing response to resistance reports and videos. I know better what to look for.
• Changing some of our SOP language and provide better training to our staff
• Will assist with conducting investigations.
• To take more time gather more information and objectively evaluate use of force incidents and have additional training ideas for de-escalation use the force.
• Gave me information that I didn’t have and insight on how to help my officers after the fact.

Course Synopsis:
In today’s environment, every use of force incident is subject to intense scrutiny, often analyzed frame by frame and judged by individuals lacking proper training. This has led to increased distrust and the spread of false narratives. The analysis, investigation, and training of police use of force remain complex and continually evolving challenges.

This 2-day training session is specifically designed for police leaders who review, internal affairs investigators who determine and trainers who are instructing use of force incidents. Do you have any additional updated specialized training in use of force analysis? Through lectures, case studies, and demonstrations, this course provides actionable insights and proven strategies to navigate the challenges of modern use of force incidents.
“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 best 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
REGISTER HERE

LOCATION of TRAINING:
Oakland County Sheriff’s – MI
1200 N Telegraph Rd. – Building 38 East
Pontiac MI 48341
Sgt. Nicholas Stoner
Email – Stonerns@oakgov.com / 248-613-0854

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