Texas Private Security Bureau (PSB) Level 2 Training Course Practice Test

Deadly force is defined by the intent or knowledge that the force used could cause death or serious bodily injury. That statement captures the essential threshold that makes force deadly, distinguishing it from actions that are merely nonlethal or non-force. Verbal commands are not physical force and don’t carry this potential outcome. Controlling a crowd or using nonlethal force are also not defined by the potential to cause death or serious injury, so they don’t meet this definition. In practice, deadly force is allowed only when there’s a real, imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm, but the definition itself centers on the intent or knowledge to cause death or serious injury.