Does the police force constitute a specific epistemological unit? Given that it is defined by having a monopoly on the use of force and that it uses such force only rarely, the answer would appear to be “yes.” An investigation of the concrete situations in which the police use force can provide an answer to this question. In fact, it reveals that, far from dissolving in the apparent duality of the object, a unitary theoretical definition of the police is indeed possible. This paper suggests reconstructing the “police” as a theoretical object. Based on a comprehensive sociological study of violent police interactions, it examines the methodological validity of such a study and pinpoints the legal conditions in which force can be used by the police, as well as the particularities of the sanctions imposed in cases of non-compliance. This approach questions the notion of sovereignty, which is critical to understanding policing.