Under NY law, which statement about use of force to prevent crime is correct?

• A. Deadly force may be used to prevent any crime.
• B. Non-deadly force may be used to prevent any crime.
• C. Deadly force may be used only for a felony that risks human life.
• D. Non-deadly force may be used only for a misdemeanor.

Answer: (C)

In New York, the use of force to prevent crime is tightly bounded by reasonableness and necessity. Deadly force isn’t available to stop just any crime; it’s only justifiable when the crime being prevented is a felony that risks human life. This means if someone is committing a non-violent crime or a misdemeanor, you can’t use deadly force to stop it; you’d have to rely on non-deadly, reasonable force, and only to the extent necessary to prevent the harm or to effect an arrest. The key point is that the gravity of the threat—specifically a felony that endangers human life—dictates when deadly force may be used. The other statements overgeneralize the circumstances under which force can be used and aren’t correct under NY law.