Force Science

@iadlest 👉 “View the full issue here: iadlest.org/news/magazine

In case you missed it, this is a conversation worth paying attention to. Featured in the March 2026 issue of the @iadlest Standards & Training Director Magazine is our Force Science News article, “The (Un)Reasonable Sleight of Hand: Blurring Tactical Discretion with Constitutional Reasonableness,” by Von Kliem. If you haven’t had the opportunity to check it out yet, consider adding this publication to your professional toolkit! It’s a valuable resource for state POST agencies, law enforcement training academies, instructors, and international training organizations, supporting the continued development of training standards across the law enforcement profession. A link to the full issue can be found in the comments.

Are you heading to @bluelinelawyer Force Forum 2026 next month? Don’t miss this keynote from Force Science Founder Dr. William Lewinski: “Decision-Making and Response When Non-Lethal Fails.” In this session, Dr. Lewinski addresses a critical gap in training. While officers spend extensive time learning to deploy non-lethal tools, including impact weapons, conducted energy weapons (CEWs), and chemical agents, far less attention is given to what happens when those tools don’t work. This is a critically important moment. When a tool fails, it is not just a tactical problem, it is a cognitive shift. Officers must rapidly reassess evolving threat factors, including the new risks created by that failure. What was expected to resolve the situation may now escalate it. This requires adaptive thinking under pressure, real-time problem-solving, and continuous threat assessment. Tool failure is part of the job. Preparing for it should be too. This is a session you don’t want to miss! To learn more about this event, go to: bluelinelawyer.com/events/

Kudos to our own Nicole Florisi and Lon Bartel of @VirtraSystems for being invited to speak at the 2026 International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) Emerson Hour! This highly anticipated event is a dynamic, innovative 60-minute program featuring six of ILEETA’s premier trainers, with no slide deck, video, or even a flip chart, just pure content. Designed to enlighten and inspire, it’s the perfect way to kick off this year’s ILEETA Conference.

We're heading back home next month—and you're invited! Join us at our Force Science Training Center in the Greater Chicago area for the Force Science Certification Course. If you haven't had the opportunity to see our facility, this is the perfect excuse to check it out while taking a deep dive into the science behind human performance and what it means for professionals working in and around law enforcement. During the week, we explore topics including: • Human performance under stress • Critical decision-making in high-risk encounters • Perception, memory, and attention in force events • Reaction time and action vs. response dynamics Learn directly from the experts who combine leading research with real-world experience to better understand and evaluate force encounters. 👉 Learn more or register: events.forcescience.com/2026-04-force-…

When should officers be interviewed after a critical incident? In this week’s Force Science News, CEO Brian Baxter, examines what science actually tells us about post-incident interviews and why investigators should focus less on the clock and more on how human memory and emotion are impacted by life-threatening events. 👉 Read the full article: forcescience.com/2026/03/stop-w…

Are you heading to the 2026 International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) Conference & Expo in St. Louis next week? Be sure to add these Force Science presentations to your schedule! ➡️ “Generally Accepted Police Practices”: A Coordinated Attack on Law Enforcement Presented by Von Kliem ➡️The Cost of Caring: The Dark Side of Empathy-Based Training Presented by Nicole Florisi ➡️LE Training: Context Is King (An Interactive Seminar) Presented by Michael Musengo If you’re attending ILEETA, stop by the Force Science booth and say hello! 👋 We’d love to connect, and we may even have a few goodies for you to take home! Want more information about the event? Learn more here: ileeta.org/conference/

Another Force Science Certification Course is in the books, this time in Columbia, South Carolina! Participants spent the week engaged in intensive learning led by the Force Science and partnering instructional team. Today, Force Science CEO Brian Baxter delivered the closing remarks, helping bring together key concepts explored throughout the course, including the psychology of crisis encounters, human performance, arrest-related death, biomechanics, officer-involved shootings, and more. The central takeaway was developing a deeper understanding of the human being behind the badge and the critical human performance factors that must be considered when evaluating force incidents. Thank you to the dedicated professionals who joined us and continue working to strengthen investigations, advance knowledge, and support honest accountability in the profession. And of course, a special thank you to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division - SLED for hosting Force Science once again and helping make this critical training possible.

Behind every badge stands a family carrying the weight of service. In 2026, the @nationalleohof will host Built to Withstand: Family Strength Through a Career of Service and Sacrifice, a three-hour interactive training experience designed for law enforcement professionals and their spouses or significant others. Force Science and Raptor Public Safety Coaching have teamed up to co-present this session, addressing the emotional and relational realities of policing and delivering practical tools to strengthen resilience before stress becomes crisis. Registration is $300 per officer and includes attendance for one spouse or significant other. Learn more and register to join us in Fort Worth, TX on April 10, 2026: nationalleohalloffame.com/training

Controversy over the ICE shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis has once again placed use-of-force standards at the center of national debate. In this week’s Force Science News, Von Kliem explains how, when clarity and honest accountability are most needed, we can avoid blurring the lines between tactical discretion, constitutional guidelines, and pseudo-national standards. You can read the full article @ forcescience.com/2026/02/the-un…

Spring fever is taking us to Columbia, SC next month, and we still have seats available! Join us for the highly regarded Force Science Certification Course, where we explore the scientific realities of human performance under stress. This course covers critical topics including: • Action vs. reaction time • Human behavior during rapidly unfolding events • Decision-making under pressure • Memory and perception in high-stakes encounters • And much much more! If you work in or alongside law enforcement, whether in training, supervision, investigations, legal review, or risk management, this course delivers essential insights into human behavior and performance during force encounters. Understanding what science tells us about these complex events strengthens investigations, enhances training, and supports honest accountability within the profession. 🔗 Interested in joining us? Learn more and reserve your seat here: events.forcescience.com/2026-03-force-…

Force Forum 2026 takes on a tragic but necessary reality: even non-deadly force can, in rare cases, have fatal outcomes. When that happens, honest evaluation of police performance begins with an understanding of science, medicine, and how humans make decisions under extreme time pressure. Dr. William Lewinski is excited to return to Force Forum where he will share a data-driven examination of impact weapons, chemical agents, and conducted energy weapons, drawing on existing scientific literature, the latest data, and human-performance principles. Presented for the first time, his session will focus on time compression and its effects on perception, decision-making, and response—helping courts, investigators, and litigators zero in on the analytical factors that matter most when assessing these cases. 👉 Join us April 21-23 on Jekyll Island GA! bluelinelawyer.com/events/

Force Science’s consulting division continues to rely on the insights derived from top self-defense attorney Andrew Branca's work, and is pleased to announce his upcoming live training: LIVE WEBINAR: “The Golden Hour of Self-Defense” How to Make Yourself as Hard to Convict as Possible in 2026 In today’s legal climate, the difference between a justified act of self-defense and a criminal conviction often turns on what happens in the first critical moments after a use-of-force event. Branca — a graduate of the Force Science Certification Course — is widely recognized for integrating human performance realities into self-defense legal analysis and for advocating for honest accountability, wherever the facts lead. This webinar, hosted through Branca’s own platform and website, examines lessons from major high-profile cases, including Rittenhouse, Zimmerman, Daniel Penny, Apple River, Baldwin, January 6, and more. Members of the Force Science team will be attending. Force Science encourages our followers to attend and share this webinar with others who want a clearer understanding of lawful self-defense in today’s climate. Absolutely free to attend. Register here: events.lawofselfdefense.com/optin176834109…

Last Call for Speaker Proposals for the 2026 Force Science Conference! The submission deadline is fast approaching — February 1, 2026. The 2026 Force Science Conference is seeking presenters with insights, research, and real-world experience in human performance science and its impact on policing and use-of-force decision-making. We’re looking for evidence-based perspectives, practical strategies, and case studies that translate from the classroom to investigations to the courtroom—advancing officer and community safety while supporting honest accountability. 👉Learn more and submit your proposal: events.forcescience.com/force-science-…

Welcome to the team Derrick Crews! Many of you already know Derrick from his work with Force Science on our Realistic De-Escalation Programs. We are excited to share that he has officially joined our team in a full time capacity, expanding his responsibilities to include leading key projects and advancing our training programs across the organization. Derrick brings nearly 30 years of sworn law enforcement experience, with leadership and operational roles spanning SWAT supervision, criminal investigations, internal affairs, accreditation management, use of force coordination, and explosive ordnance disposal. Grounded in professionalism, critical decision-making, and honest accountability, Derrick’s experience aligns closely with the work we do every day at Force Science. We are privileged to welcome him to the team!

Today we honor the law enforcement professionals who protect and serve our communities. National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, founded in 2015, recognizes the men and women across America who have made the sworn commitment to uphold the law and safeguard the public—sometimes at great personal sacrifice. Every shift represents courage. Every call reflects service. Every badge symbolizes a promise to stand in harm’s way so others don’t have to. To all law enforcement professionals: thank you. Your dedication, resilience, and unwavering commitment to public safety do not go unnoticed. From the entire Force Science team, we proudly stand in appreciation of all you do.

In 2025, force encounters continued to be judged by expectations that exceed human capability—expectations shaped by hindsight, distorted video analysis, and speculative standards rather than science. In the final Force Science News issue of the year, Von Kliem examines the challenges and successes of 2025 and outlines Force Science’s priorities for 2026, grounded in peer-reviewed research, human performance realities, and honest accountability. Read the full article @ forcescience.com/2025/12/force-…

“Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.” — Peg Bracken As the year comes to a close, we want to take a moment to thank the law enforcement and public safety community, our partners and colleagues, and the many supporters who engage with and stand behind our work for the trust, encouragement, and collaboration that shaped this past year. Your dedication to public service and your continued support inspire our work each and every day and strengthen our commitment to moving our mission forward. In observance of the holiday season, Force Science offices will operate with limited hours through the New Year as our team spends time with family and loved ones. Wishing you and your families a peaceful and joyful holiday season, and a strong, safe start to the year ahead!

And that’s a wrap! Our final Force Science Certification Course of 2025 wrapped up this afternoon in Sacramento, CA, with Brian Baxter and Michael Musengo putting the finishing touches on an outstanding week of training. One of the most unique strengths of this program is the exceptional team of experts who lead it—giving participants a firsthand look at the latest science behind human performance and behavior, paired with real-life examples that connect directly to their work in policing. A huge thank you to our always-generous host and rock-star team at @PORACalifornia for welcoming us back year after year to deliver this critical training. We look forward to seeing you again in 2026! Missed your chance to join us in person? You can still complete the training online through our self-paced option—or explore our 2026 schedule at the links below! 👉 Online Training - forcescience.com/.../force.../o… 👉 2026 Schedule - forcescience.com/training/event…

’Tis the season! Give the gift of knowledge with FREE shipping on our 460+ page Force Science – Peer-Reviewed Scientific Research book. Packed with 24 groundbreaking studies shaping training, investigations, and honest accountability in public safety. Perfect for any Force Science fan—or yourself! Grab Yours Before the Holidays! 👉forcescience.com/product/force-…