Use of Force General Order

This General Order applies to all sworn campus and university special police officers, as well as civilian employees reporting to the Georgetown University Police Department (GUPD). It does not apply to other university employees who do not report to GUPD.

No. GUPD does not authorize the use of deadly weapons. GUPD employees are strictly prohibited from carrying or using firearms or ammunition as part of their job responsibilities. Officers carry only GUPD-approved less-lethal weapons, specifically OC (pepper) spray and impact weapons (batons)

Force must always be a last resort. Officers are required to use verbal and non-verbal de-escalation techniques to defuse situations whenever feasible. As such, Officers are undergo extensive and ongoing training in de-escalation techniques.

When force is absolutely necessary, it must be the minimum amount that is objectively reasonable, necessary, and proportional to safely handle the threat. Officers must immediately reduce or stop using force as resistance diminishes.

The General Order strictly prohibits several high-risk tactics, including:

• Prohibited Restraints: Choke holds, neck restraints, and asphyxiating restraints are strictly banned.
• Dangerous Strikes: Striking a subject in the head, spine, neck, heart, sternum, or groin with a baton or hard object is prohibited unless deadly force is authorized.
• Restraint Connections: Connecting a handcuffed subject’s hands and feet together (such as hog-tying) is banned.
• Retaliatory Force: Using force to punish, retaliate, or coerce compliance from someone who is solely verbally confronting officers or who is not suspected of criminal conduct.

GUPD employees are strictly prohibited from engaging in vehicular pursuits of any kind. Because active pursuits on a university campus create an extreme danger to the community, officers must instead gather vehicle details, notify dispatch, and immediately turn off their engines or leave the area to signal a clear end to the encounter.

Duty to Intervene: Officers are required to immediately step in and stop any fellow officer or public safety associate who is using excessive, unreasonable, or unconstitutional force, and report it to a supervisor.

Duty to Provide Medical Aid: GUPD employees must immediately check vital signs and render first aid to any injured individual (including the subject) after a force encounter, and immediately request emergency medical services (EMS) if the person displays medical distress, is unconscious, or requests a doctor.

Any use of Non-De Minimis Force (force involving less-lethal weapons, or force that causes or is alleged to cause an injury) requires a detailed Force Incident Report (FIR) to be completed by the end of the shift. To protect the integrity of the investigation, involved officers are strictly prohibited from reviewing any surveillance or security camera footage prior to writing and submitting their initial report.

Note: If only De Minimis Force is used (e.g., physical guidance or escorting that causes no pain or injury) and there is no complaint of pain, an FIR is not required. However, the interaction must still be documented in a standard Incident Report.

A supervisor will secure evidence, interview witnesses, and conduct a thorough internal investigation. If an officer’s use of force results in serious bodily injury or death, they are immediately placed on paid administrative leave and removed from operational duties pending the outcome. Furthermore, if an investigation reveals potential criminal conduct, the GUPD Chief of Police will refer the matter directly to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) for an independent criminal investigation.