Which statement is true about the Graham v. Connor factors?

• A. They are considered only after force has been applied.
• B. They include the suspect's intent and moral character.
• C. They include severity of the crime, immediate threat, and resistance or evasion.
• D. They allow officers to use any force if a suspect is unarmed.

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is that use-of-force decisions are judged by how reasonable they were at the moment of the seizure, based on the totality of the circumstances. The three Graham v. Connor factors guide that assessment: how serious the crime is, whether the suspect posed an immediate threat to the officer or others, and whether the suspect was actively resisting or evading arrest. These elements help determine if the force used was reasonable under the Fourth Amendment.

These factors focus on the situation as it appeared, not on the suspect’s intent or moral character, and they emphasize objective reasonableness rather than a justification that depends on after-the-fact considerations. They also make clear that simply because a suspect is unarmed does not automatically authorize any and all levels of force; the force used must be reasonable given the circumstances known at the time.