What does the Return Fire principle require?

• A. Return force with force. You always have the right to repel hostile acts with necessary force
• B. Never use force
• C. Always use lethal force
• D. Force must be justified after the fact

Answer: (D)

Return Fire is about accountability in defensive action. Any force used to repel an attack must be proportionate to the threat and legally and policy-wise justified, and that justification must be demonstrable after the incident. In practice, you assess the threat, decide on the appropriate level of force at the moment, and then document and review what happened to show that the force used was necessary and reasonable. It isn’t a blanket right to always use force, nor a dictate to never use force or to always employ lethal force. The emphasis is that force used must be justifiable after the fact, supported by evidence and documentation.