Use of Force Response & Excited Delirium
Key Takeaways
- ABST Module 3 revisits Criminal Code s. 25 as an operational decision, not just a legal rule: assess the behaviour, try verbal and non-verbal tactics first, use only as much force as is necessary, and stop the moment the subject is no longer resisting
- Assess the situation on three factors — threat to the safety of others, urgency, and environment (lighting, weather, footing, bystanders)
- Assess the subject on four factors — weapons or improvised weapons, age/fitness/strength, mental state, and whether they appear impaired by drugs or alcohol
- Excited delirium is a rare medical emergency, not a discipline problem: unusual strength, bizarre or violent behaviour, overheating, sweating, shouting nonsense, and paranoia mean call EMS immediately
- Never restrain a person face-down or with pressure on the chest; sit them in a chair or prop them upright, and deliver them to police forthwith
Use of Force Response & Excited Delirium
Quick Answer: Module 2 gave you the law of force (ss. 25, 26, 27). Module 3 gives you the decision. Assess the situation and the subject, exhaust verbal and non-verbal tactics, ask whether force is genuinely necessary, use only as much as is necessary, and stop the instant the subject stops resisting. If the person shows signs of excited delirium, treat it as a medical emergency and call EMS immediately.
Your job is still observe and report. Before you step in, ask the question the ABST manual puts first: would calling the police suffice? Most of the time the answer is yes, and the professional decision is to keep watching, keep talking, and let police handle it.
Step 1 — What Is the Situation You Are Facing?
| Factor | Question to ask yourself |
|---|---|
| Threats to the safety of others | Is this person a danger to a bystander, a co-worker, or me right now? Will my actions create a further risk to people nearby? |
| Urgency | Do I have time to assess, or is the threat immediate? Judgement here improves with experience — when in doubt, buy time. |
| Environment | How do lighting, weather, footing (ice, gravel, wet tile), working at height, and the presence of bystanders change the risk of any physical action? |
The environment factor is the one candidates underweight. A takedown that is reasonable on carpet may be reckless at the top of a stairwell or on an icy loading dock.
Step 2 — What Do You Know About the Subject?
| Factor | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Weapons | Anything in their hands or waistband, and any object nearby that could become a weapon — a bottle, a tool, a chair |
| Age, fitness, strength | Realistic comparison. Are they half your age and twice your size? Are you far larger than they are? Both directions matter — force that is necessary against one subject is excessive against another |
| Mental state | Signs of an altered mental state, distress, or crisis, and how that will affect their decision-making and apparent strength |
| Under the influence | Signs of impairment by drugs or alcohol — impaired persons often do not respond to normal verbal direction, and may not feel pain that would otherwise stop them |
These are the same factors that make force reasonable under s. 25 and excessive under s. 26. Being able to articulate them afterwards is what turns a justified use of force into a defensible one.
Step 3 — The Decision Flow
The manual sets out a simple sequence. Memorise it; it is a natural exam question.
- Assess the behaviour.
- Are verbal and non-verbal tactics resolving the situation?
- Yes → carry on resolving the situation without force.
- If not: is force necessary?
- No → carry on resolving the situation without force (disengage, contain, wait for police).
- Yes → use only as much force as is necessary.
- Stop using force when the subject is no longer resisting or using force.
Step 4 is the one that generates criminal charges when it is ignored. Force that was lawful at second five becomes an assault at second fifteen if the subject has already stopped.
Note on training scope: the ABST course teaches you the decision, not the techniques. The participant manual states plainly that use-of-force techniques are not covered in this course and recommends taking a dedicated use-of-force and personal-safety course. Alberta requires a separate approved 40-hour baton course, with re-certification every 36 months, before a licensee may carry a baton.
Excited Delirium — A Medical Emergency
Excited delirium is a rare condition in which a person behaves in a highly disordered and violent manner. It is strongly associated with being restrained — which means it can appear during exactly the moments when a guard has just made an arrest. It can be fatal. You will probably never encounter it; you must still be able to recognise it.
Call for emergency medical assistance immediately if you believe someone is in a state of excited delirium. This is a medical call, not a compliance problem.
Indicators
- Unusual physical strength, far beyond what the person's build suggests
- Bizarre or aggressive behaviour, violence
- Overheating — often with clothing removed
- Profuse sweating
- Aggression
- Shouting, often nonsensical
- Paranoia
Known Causes
- Illegal drug use, particularly cocaine
- Heart-related disease and conditions
- Anti-psychotic medication
- Metabolic acidosis
Restraint Position — the Detail That Saves a Life
Deaths associated with excited delirium have been linked to how the person was positioned while restrained. If you must restrain someone:
- Do not put pressure on the chest — it interferes with breathing.
- Do not push the face down in a way that blocks the mouth and nose.
- Sit the person in a chair, or prop them upright against a wall or other suitable surface.
- Keep monitoring breathing and responsiveness until EMS arrives, and tell EMS exactly what you saw and how long the person was restrained.
And the rule that never changes: if you have arrested the person, you are obliged to deliver them to a peace officer forthwith under Criminal Code s. 494(3).
Documenting a Use-of-Force Incident
Write it up while it is fresh, in the 24-hour clock, in your own words:
- The behaviour you observed, in factual terms, before you acted
- The situation and subject factors you assessed, and why lesser options were not working
- What you said and how the subject responded
- What force you used, for how long, and when you stopped
- Injuries to anyone, and the medical response
- Times: incident, EMS/police called, EMS/police arrival, custody transfer
- Witnesses and any camera coverage
Exam Focus
Two answers are almost always correct on this material: verbal tactics come first, and force stops when resistance stops. On excited delirium, the correct action is call EMS immediately and do not restrain face-down or with chest pressure — never "hold them until they calm down."
Under the ABST use-of-force decision flow, what must a security professional do the moment the subject is no longer resisting or using force?
Which set of signs should make a security professional suspect excited delirium?
A guard has restrained a person who is showing signs of excited delirium while waiting for help. Which action is correct?