Which factor is NOT part of the Graham v. Connor standard for analyzing the reasonableness of a use of force?

• A. Severity of the crime
• B. Immediacy of the threat to the officer or others
• C. Actively resisting arrest
• D. Presence of a crowd nearby

Answer: (D)

Reasonableness under the Fourth Amendment is assessed using the Graham v. Connor framework, which weighs three factors: the severity of the crime involved, the immediacy of the threat to the officer or others, and whether the suspect is actively resisting arrest or attempting to evade arrest. The presence of a crowd nearby is not part of this framework, so it does not determine the reasonableness of the force used. In practice, the other three factors guide the assessment: for example, a serious violent crime with an imminent threat may justify more force, whereas a minor offense with no threat and passive compliance would require less or no force. Therefore, the factor not included in the standard is the presence of a crowd nearby.