Which questions should be answered in a use of force incident report?

• A. Who, What, When, Where, How and Why
• B. Where, When, What, Why
• C. Who, When, Why
• D. What, Where, Who, How

Answer: (A)

The main idea tested is that a use of force incident report must capture all six fundamental elements that let someone understand and review the event: who was involved, what happened, when it happened, where it happened, how the force was applied, and why it was necessary. Recording who was involved identifies both the supervising officer and the subject(s), ensuring accountability. Describing what happened and how the force was used provides a clear sequence and the specific tactics or tools involved. Recording when and where the incident occurred places it in time and space for context and jurisdictional or policy review. Explaining why the force was necessary documents the threat assessment and policy justification, which is crucial for evaluating reasonableness and legality. If any of these elements are missing, the report becomes hard to interpret and difficult to assess for compliance or accuracy. The other options omit one or more of these essential pieces—omitting who and how, or when and why, or other combinations—so they don’t provide the full, reconstructible picture required for a use of force incident.