{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/19.2-83.5.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/19.2-83.5.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/19.2-83.5.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/19.2-83.5.html"}],"law_id":73000,"edition_id":1,"section_id":73000,"structure_id":15870,"section_number":"19.2-83.5","catch_line":"Use of deadly force by a law-enforcement officer during an arrest or detention","history":"2020, Sp. Sess. I, c. 37.","full_text":"A\n\nA law-enforcement officer shall not use deadly force against a person unless:1\n\nThe law-enforcement officer reasonably believes that deadly force is immediately necessary to protect the law-enforcement officer or another person, other than the subject of the use of deadly force, from the threat of serious bodily injury or death;2\n\nIf feasible, the law-enforcement officer has provided a warning to the subject of the deadly force that he will use deadly force;3\n\nThe law-enforcement officer’s actions are reasonable, given the totality of the circumstances; and4\n\nAll other options have been exhausted or do not reasonably lend themselves to the circumstances.B\n\nIn determining if a law-enforcement officer’s use of deadly force is proper, the following factors shall be considered:1\n\nThe reasonableness of the law-enforcement officer’s belief and actions from the perspective of a reasonable law-enforcement officer on the scene at the time of the incident; and2\n\nThe totality of the circumstances, including (i) the amount of time available to the law-enforcement officer to make a decision; (ii) whether the subject of the use of deadly force (a) possessed or appeared to possess a deadly weapon and (b) refused to comply with the law-enforcement officer’s lawful order to surrender an object believed to be a deadly weapon prior to the law-enforcement officer using deadly force; (iii) whether the law-enforcement officer engaged in de-escalation measures prior to the use of deadly force, including taking cover, waiting for backup, trying to calm the subject prior to the use of force, or using non-deadly force prior to the use of deadly force; (iv) whether any conduct by the law-enforcement officer prior to the use of deadly force intentionally increased the risk of a confrontation resulting in deadly force being used; and (v) the seriousness of the suspected crime.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":262913,"text":"A law-enforcement officer shall not use deadly force against a person unless:","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"A1"},"1":{"id":262914,"text":"The law-enforcement officer reasonably believes that deadly force is immediately necessary to protect the law-enforcement officer or another person, other than the subject of the use of deadly force, from the threat of serious bodily injury or death;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"A1","prefix_anchor":"A1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"A2"},"2":{"id":262915,"text":"If feasible, the law-enforcement officer has provided a warning to the subject of the deadly force that he will use deadly force;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"A2","prefix_anchor":"A2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A1","next_prefix":"A3"},"3":{"id":262916,"text":"The law-enforcement officer’s actions are reasonable, given the totality of the circumstances; and","type":"section","prefixes":["A","3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"A3","prefix_anchor":"A3","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A2","next_prefix":"A4"},"4":{"id":262917,"text":"All other options have been exhausted or do not reasonably lend themselves to the circumstances.","type":"section","prefixes":["A","4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"A4","prefix_anchor":"A4","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A3","next_prefix":"B"},"5":{"id":262918,"text":"In determining if a law-enforcement officer’s use of deadly force is proper, the following factors shall be considered:","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A4","next_prefix":"B1"},"6":{"id":262919,"text":"The reasonableness of the law-enforcement officer’s belief and actions from the perspective of a reasonable law-enforcement officer on the scene at the time of the incident; and","type":"section","prefixes":["B","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"B1","prefix_anchor":"B1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"B2"},"7":{"id":262920,"text":"The totality of the circumstances, including (i) the amount of time available to the law-enforcement officer to make a decision; (ii) whether the subject of the use of deadly force (a) possessed or appeared to possess a deadly weapon and (b) refused to comply with the law-enforcement officer’s lawful order to surrender an object believed to be a deadly weapon prior to the law-enforcement officer using deadly force; (iii) whether the law-enforcement officer engaged in de-escalation measures prior to the use of deadly force, including taking cover, waiting for backup, trying to calm the subject prior to the use of force, or using non-deadly force prior to the use of deadly force; (iv) whether any conduct by the law-enforcement officer prior to the use of deadly force intentionally increased the risk of a confrontation resulting in deadly force being used; and (v) the seriousness of the suspected crime.","type":"section","prefixes":["B","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"B2","prefix_anchor":"B2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"B1"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15870,"edition_id":1,"name":"Law-Enforcement Officer Conduct During an Arrest or Detention","identifier":"7.1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12801,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:00:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:00:55","permalink":{"id":171041,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15870,"identifier":"7.1","token":"19.2\/7.1","url":"\/19.2\/7.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12801,"edition_id":1,"name":"Criminal Procedure","identifier":"19.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":168169,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12801,"identifier":"19.2","token":"19.2","url":"\/19.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":68275,"structure_id":15870,"section_number":"19.2-83.3","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/19.2-83.3\/","token":"19.2\/7.1\/19.2-83.3","metadata":false},{"id":71427,"structure_id":15870,"section_number":"19.2-83.4","catch_line":"Prohibited practices for law-enforcement officers during an arrest or detention","url":"\/19.2-83.4\/","token":"19.2\/7.1\/19.2-83.4","metadata":false},{"id":73000,"structure_id":15870,"section_number":"19.2-83.5","catch_line":"Use of deadly force by a law-enforcement officer during an arrest or detention","url":"\/19.2-83.5\/","token":"19.2\/7.1\/19.2-83.5","metadata":false},{"id":64788,"structure_id":15870,"section_number":"19.2-83.6","catch_line":"Failure of a law-enforcement officer to intervene in use of excessive force","url":"\/19.2-83.6\/","token":"19.2\/7.1\/19.2-83.6","metadata":false},{"id":61352,"structure_id":15870,"section_number":"19.2-83.7","catch_line":"Penalties for violations of this chapter","url":"\/19.2-83.7\/","token":"19.2\/7.1\/19.2-83.7","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":71427,"structure_id":15870,"section_number":"19.2-83.4","catch_line":"Prohibited practices for law-enforcement officers during an arrest or detention","url":"\/19.2-83.4\/","token":"19.2\/7.1\/19.2-83.4","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":64788,"structure_id":15870,"section_number":"19.2-83.6","catch_line":"Failure of a law-enforcement officer to intervene in use of excessive force","url":"\/19.2-83.6\/","token":"19.2\/7.1\/19.2-83.6","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/19.2-83.5\/","history_text":false,"references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":171051,"object_type":"law","relational_id":73000,"identifier":"19.2-83.5","token":"19.2\/7.1\/19.2-83.5","url":"\/19.2-83.5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/19.2-83.5\/","token":"19.2\/7.1\/19.2-83.5","dublin_core":{"Title":"Use of deadly force by a law-enforcement officer during an arrest or detention","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 19.2-83.5","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> A law<\/span>-enforcement officer shall not use deadly force<\/span> against a person unless: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> The law<\/span>-enforcement officer reasonably believes that deadly force<\/span> is immediately necessary to protect the law<\/span>-enforcement officer or another person, other than the subject of the use of deadly force<\/span>, from the threat of serious bodily injury or death; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> If feasible, the law<\/span>-enforcement officer has provided a warning to the subject of the deadly force<\/span> that he will use deadly force<\/span>; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> The law<\/span>-enforcement officer’s actions are reasonable, given the totality of the circumstances; and <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> All other options have been exhausted or do not reasonably lend themselves to the circumstances. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> In determining if a law<\/span>-enforcement officer’s use of deadly force<\/span> is proper, the following factors shall be considered: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> The reasonableness of the law<\/span>-enforcement officer’s belief and actions from the perspective of a reasonable law<\/span>-enforcement officer on the scene at the time of the incident; and <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> The totality of the circumstances, including (i) the amount of time available to the law<\/span>-enforcement officer to make a decision; (ii) whether the subject of the use of deadly force<\/span> (a) possessed or appeared to possess a deadly weapon<\/span> and (b) refused to comply with the law<\/span>-enforcement officer’s lawful order<\/span> to surrender an object<\/span> believed to be a deadly weapon<\/span> prior to the law<\/span>-enforcement officer using deadly force<\/span>; (iii) whether the law<\/span>-enforcement officer engaged in de-escalation measures prior to the use of deadly force<\/span>, including taking cover, waiting for backup, trying to calm the subject prior to the use of force, or using non-deadly force<\/span> prior to the use of deadly force<\/span>; (iv) whether any conduct by the law<\/span>-enforcement officer prior to the use of deadly force<\/span> intentionally increased the risk of a confrontation resulting in deadly force<\/span> being used; and (v) the seriousness of the suspected crime<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nUSE OF DEADLY FORCE BY A LAW-ENFORCEMENT OFFICER DURING AN ARREST OR DETENTION\n(\u00a7 19.2-83.5)\n\nA. A law-enforcement officer shall not use deadly force against a person unless:\n\n 1. The law-enforcement officer reasonably believes that deadly force is\n immediately necessary to protect the law-enforcement officer or another\n person, other than the subject of the use of deadly force, from the threat of\n serious bodily injury or death;\n\n 2. If feasible, the law-enforcement officer has provided a warning to the\n subject of the deadly force that he will use deadly force;\n\n 3. The law-enforcement officer’s actions are reasonable, given the\n totality of the circumstances; and\n\n 4. All other options have been exhausted or do not reasonably lend themselves\n to the circumstances.\n\nB. In determining if a law-enforcement officer’s use of deadly force is\nproper, the following factors shall be considered:\n\n 1. The reasonableness of the law-enforcement officer’s belief and\n actions from the perspective of a reasonable law-enforcement officer on the\n scene at the time of the incident; and\n\n 2. The totality of the circumstances, including (i) the amount of time\n available to the law-enforcement officer to make a decision; (ii) whether the\n subject of the use of deadly force (a) possessed or appeared to possess a\n deadly weapon and (b) refused to comply with the law-enforcement\n officer’s lawful order to surrender an object believed to be a deadly\n weapon prior to the law-enforcement officer using deadly force; (iii) whether\n the law-enforcement officer engaged in de-escalation measures prior to the use\n of deadly force, including taking cover, waiting for backup, trying to calm\n the subject prior to the use of force, or using non-deadly force prior to the\n use of deadly force; (iv) whether any conduct by the law-enforcement officer\n prior to the use of deadly force intentionally increased the risk of a\n confrontation resulting in deadly force being used; and (v) the seriousness of\n the suspected crime.\n\nHISTORY: 2020, Sp. Sess. I, c. 37.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}