In modern Russia, the problem of countering socially dangerous manifestations acts as a national project that proclaims the right of citizens to safe living conditions. Much attention is paid to the ability of law enforcement officers to resist criminal expansion legally, to be able to protect themselves and others by means of legal use of force against persons who commit socially dangerous encroachments. Guided by the concept of deviance, the authors made an attempt to analyze the problem of lawful behavior by law enforcement officers, primarily police officers. The researchers came to a reasonable conclusion about the need to adjust the current state of affairs. The legislation and the practice of its application cannot satisfy the interests of representatives of law enforcement agencies engaged in official activities for the protection of public order and ensuring of public safety. Imperfect legislation is the main reason of deviant behavior of police officers who are in permanent stress situations. Their abundance also provokes deviant behavior of police officers, which sometimes manifests itself in extreme brutality towards lawbreakers. From our point of view, the current norms of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, primarily the norms of Chapter 8, are not clear enough. Moreover, their legislative wording is far from being perfect and gives the opportunity to shift the blame for causing harm to persons who do it in circumstances that exclude the criminality of the act. The proposed careful adjustment of the norms of criminal legislation will significantly increase the effectiveness of their practical implementation, instill confidence in the consciousness of police officers about the importance and possibility of offensive legitimate steps to influence crime, as well as to increase their legal protection.