Which of the following is an example of a stressor experienced in the line of duty?

• A. High overtime workloads
• B. Killing someone in the line of duty
• C. Public recognition and awards
• D. Routine traffic stops

Answer: (B)

Exposure to traumatic events during duty is a key stressor in policing. The scenario of killing someone in the line of duty represents an acute, highly distressing encounter with violence and death, which can trigger intense emotional, cognitive, and physiological responses right away and may lead to longer-term effects like post-traumatic stress or moral injury. The other scenarios are either less intense or positive in nature—overtime workload is a ongoing stressor from heavy demand but not a single traumatic event, public recognition is rewarding rather than stressful, and routine traffic stops are common duties that don’t inherently involve life-and-death trauma. So, the most fitting example of a line-of-duty stressor is the encounter involving taking a life.