Regarding this issue, the author discusses at length only one instance of deadly force: an incident that occurred on March 7, 1990, when for the first time in the history of the Houston Police Department a policewoman shot and killed a suspect. By focusing on this case, the author illustrates both the strengths and weaknesses of the case method of teaching ethics. The author advises that in case discussion the teacher's role is not that of expert or source of knowledge; the teacher acts as a facilitator and intellectual foil, assisting students in their collaborative deliberations and attempting to nurture in them the ability to handle ethical conflict effectively on their own when the instructor is not present to monitor the conversation. The principal technique for realizing this aim is for the teacher to ask questions of the students. The questions must be carefully chosen so as to introduce students to a certain path of inquiry, to keep the inquiry moving in a productive direction, and to press them to investigate areas not yet probed sufficiently. Students thus learn how to dialog with themselves when making ethical decisions. 22 notes