Demings calls for ban on ‘neck restraints’ by police
In the wake of the Minneapolis death of George Floyd, who was recorded pleading that he could not breathe while a police officer knelt on his neck, an Orlando congresswoman is calling for a ban on so-called “neck restraints” by law enforcement officers.
“We should totally ban police neck restraints,” U.S. Rep. Val Demings posted on Twitter
Monday morning.
Demings, a Democrat and former Orlando police chief, reiterated her call to ban the tactic during an appearance on MSNBC.
“One thing we can do right now… let’s totally ban neck restraints,” she said. “We know that many police departments have banned them but let’s totally ban neck restraints. We can do that today and if officers decide that they don’t want to follow the polices or the rules, then fire them.”
Neck restraint typically refers to when an officer uses their arm or leg to compress the neck of a person being taken into custody, without directly pressuring the person’s airway.
The tactic is considered dangerous and is banned or severely restricted by many agencies. The Orlando Police Department didn’t immediately respond Monday when asked whether it allows neck restraints.
Early Monday, NBC News reported that Minneapolis police had used neck restraints at least 237 times since 2015, rendering people unconscious in 44 of those instances. Police experts told NBC the figure appeared to be high, and that the method used by officer Derek Chauvin on Floyd — kneeling on a suspect’s neck — is unsanctioned by police agencies.
Chauvin, 44, and three fellow officers were fired after video of Floyd suffering before his death went viral. Chauvin has since been arrested on third-degree murder and manslaughter charges.
The death of Floyd, 46, has prompted unrest in cities across the country, including in Orlando, with thousands marching in protest.