Police-Encounters-With-People-In-Crisis

Excessive force
26. Every one who is authorized by law to use force is criminally responsible for any excess thereof
according to the nature and quality of the act that constitutes the excess.
R.S., c. C-34, s. 26.
Use of force to prevent commission of offence
27. Every one is justified in using as much force as is reasonably necessary
(a) to prevent the commission of an offence
(i) for which, if it were committed, the person who committed it might be arrested
without warrant, and
(ii) that would be likely to cause immediate and serious injury to the person or property
of anyone; or
(b) to prevent anything being done that, on reasonable grounds, he believes would, if it were
done, be an offence mentioned in paragraph (a).
R.S., c. C-34, s. 27.
Preventing breach of peace
30. Every one who witnesses a breach of the peace is justified in interfering to prevent the continuance or
renewal thereof and may detain any person who commits or is about to join in or to renew the breach of
the peace, for the purpose of giving him into the custody of a peace officer, if he uses no more force than is
reasonably necessary to prevent the continuance or renewal of the breach of the peace or than is
reasonably proportioned to the danger to be apprehended from the continuance or renewal of the breach
of the peace.
R.S., c. C-34, s. 30.
Arrest for breach of peace
31. (1) Every peace officer who witnesses a breach of the peace and every one who lawfully assists the
peace officer is justified in arresting any person whom he finds committing the breach of the peace or
who, on reasonable grounds, he believes is about to join in or renew the breach of the peace.
Giving person in charge
(2) Every peace officer is justified in receiving into custody any person who is given into his charge as
having been a party to a breach of the peace by one who has, or who on reasonable grounds the peace
officer believes has, witnessed the breach of the peace.
R.S., c. C-34, s. 31.
SUPPRESSION OF RIOTS
Use of force to suppress riot
32. (1) Every peace officer is justified in using or in ordering the use of as much force as the peace officer
believes, in good faith and on reasonable grounds,
(a) is necessary to suppress a riot; and
(b) is not excessive, having regard to the danger to be apprehended from the continuance of the
riot.
Person bound by military law
(2) Every one who is bound by military law to obey the command of his superior officer is justified in
obeying any command given by his superior officer for the suppression of a riot unless the order is
manifestly unlawful.
Obeying order of peace officer
(3) Every one is justified in obeying an order of a peace officer to use force to suppress a riot if
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