GREENFIELD — The Greenfield Police Department has revised its use-of-force policy to explicitly ban chokeholds except in cases where an officer’s life is at risk, following a federal policy meant to discourage the restraint tactic.
The change was approved by the Greenfield Board of Works at its meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 12, although the department’s chief said it only formalizes what has already been policy.
The chokehold, which cuts off a person’s air flow, has often been criticized by activists who see it as an unnecessarily dangerous type of restraint that can easily lead to death. George Floyd, whose death prompted a wave of protests against police brutality and racism, died when a Minneapolis officer used a type of chokehold that involved placing a knee on his neck.
In June, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that required police departments to have a policy on their books banning chokeholds in order to receive the certification that qualifies them for federal funding.
GPD Chief Jeff Rasche said chokeholds are not used by the department, nor are they taught by the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.
The policy change explicitly banning the hold was made in response to the federal mandate, Rasche said, as the department receives federal funding for some expenses, including purchasing bulletproof vests.
“(The chokehold has) never been taught,” Rasche said. “There are a number of similar tactics that are taught by the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy that we can use.”
One of those tactics is the “bilateral vascular neck restraint,” which also involves holding a person by the neck but does not restrict access to the windpipe. Instead, it is used to cut off blood flow, which will eventually cause the person to lose consciousness. The tactic was developed by police officers in Missouri, with the aim of helping female officers control suspects who were larger than them. It is now widely used.
Rasche said the hold is a non-lethal one.
“It’s kind of like the old sleeper hold that you see in wrestling,” Rasche said.
Use of chokeholds is among several law enforcement issues that are being considered in the Indiana General Assembly this year. House Bill 1006, introduced by Rep. Gregory Steuerwald, R-Danville, includes a number of law enforcement reforms. The bill adds a chokehold, defined as applying force to the neck in a way intended to obstruct the airway, to the definition of deadly force. By law, deadly force can only be used in some circumstances, such as when an officer has reason to believe his or her life is in danger.
The bill also includes a number of other law enforcement reforms, including mandating de-escalation training for all law enforcement officers and making it a crime to turn off a body-worn camera with the intention to conceal misconduct.
Democrats in the legislature said in a virtual press conference this month that law enforcement reforms, including a ban on chokeholds, were among their top priorities for the legislative session.
Hancock County Sheriff Brad Burkhart said his department’s policy currently does not have any language that references chokeholds. He said he is waiting to see how the legislature handles the issue this session before considering any changes to the policy.
The alteration to GPD policy would not change the procedure police officers used in an incident in December that led to the death of an Indianapolis man. David Donnelli died when he struck his head on pavement after being Tased by Greenfield police. The incident is being investigated by the Indiana State Police.