Use of force and pursuits dashboard
Pursuits
If a trooper tries to pull over a driver who refuses to stop, they can start a pursuit. Troopers must always carefully consider the risks and make decisions based on the information they have at that moment. Read the definition of a pursuit under Minnesota state statute.
Total pursuits:
- 2021: 667
- 2022: 671
- 2023: 608
If the risks of continuing a pursuit are greater than the need to immediately apprehend the fleeing driver or other occupants, the pursuit should be stopped.
| Pursuit discontinue rate | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Officer discretion to discontinue | 427 | 517 | 378 |
| Supervisory direction to discontinue pursuit | 246 | 157 | 163 |
Pursuit Intervention Techniques
Pursuit Intervention Techniques (PIT) are strategies to safely end a pursuit. Troopers are trained in the following techniques: PIT maneuver, stop sticks, intentional contact, channeling/compelling path/boxing in and roadblocks. The type of strategy utilized will depend on the circumstances of each pursuit.
There could be multiple intervention strategies used for a single traffic pursuit depending on the number of troopers involved and the techniques used. That is why the overall number of intervention strategies used is higher than the total number of pursuits.
| Type of intervention technique | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PIT maneuver | 195 | 190 | 112 |
| Intentional contact | 119 | 96 | 81 |
| Boxed In | 248 | 174 | 165 |
| No termination technique used | 865 | 903 | 807 |
| Stop sticks/other tire deflation device | 277 | 247 | 177 |
A pursuit review is conducted by the trooper's supervisor, district commander, command staff member and reported to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).
Use of force
Use of force is the amount of effort required by troopers to compel compliance by an unwilling subject.
Out of 437,413 interactions with the public in 2022, 196 resulted in a use of force.
| Event | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Contacts | 400,389 | 437,413 | 470,463 |
| Use of Force | 202 | 196 | 236 |
If there is more than one use of force report for the same incident, the duplicate is removed.
Levels of control are the amounts of force used by troopers to gain control over a subject and include the following: verbal commands, soft hand control, hard hand control (hard empty hand), contact weapons and deadly force.
At a minimum, use of force reports are reviewed by the trooper's supervisor, district commander, regional major and the training and development section. The BCA is notified when death, serious bodily injury or the discharge of a firearm by troopers at or in the direction of a person that did not result in death or serious bodily injury occur.
There could be several levels of control utilized during each use of force event as the trooper (or troopers) escalates or de-escalates the situation based on the resistance encountered during the incident. That is why the number of overall control techniques utilized will be higher than the total number of use of force events.
| Use of force level of control | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft Empty Hand Control (e.g. pressure points, escorts) | 222 | 232 | 312 |
| Hard Empty Hand Techniques (e.g. strikes to trained target areas) | 24 | 17 | 28 |
| Intermediate Contact Weapons (e.g. baton, Taser) | 92 | 43 | 41 |
| Deadly Force | 0 | 3 | 1 |