- The US
Department of Justice issued new guidance on Tuesday prohibiting federal officers from using chokeholds and neck restraints in most situations. - The new rules only allow officers to use chokeholds when deadly force is authorized.
- The DOJ's decision comes just over a year after the murder of George Floyd.
The Department of Justice on Tuesday announced a sweeping new policy for federal officers that nearly bans the use of chokeholds and limits the circumstances of so-called "no-knock" warrants.
"Building trust and confidence between law enforcement and the public we serve is central to our mission at the Justice Department," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a statement.
Officers actually now only use chokeholds and carotid restraints when deadly force is authorized.
The DOJ's new guidance comes just over a year after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on George Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes as he begged for life. A jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter at a trial over Floyd's death in April.
Directly following Chauvin's convictions, Garland announced a DOJ investigation into policing practices of the Minnesota police department. He said the investigation includes examining discriminatory policing and all types of force used by local authorities.
Garland's new guidance also comes a year-and-a-half after the killing of Breonna Taylor, a former Louisville Metro Police officer who was shot and killed by police using a no-knock warrant - a tactic in which allows police to enter a person's house without announcing themselves.
The DOJ's new rules prohibit no-knock warrants unless an officer announcing the warrant would "create an imminent threat of physical violence to the agent."
"The limitations implemented today on the use of 'chokeholds,' 'carotid restraints' and 'no-knock' warrants, combined with our recent expansion of body-worn cameras to DOJ's federal agents, are among the important steps the department is taking to improve law enforcement safety and accountability," Garland said.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Tuesday that it's the role of federal law enforcement to set the standards for policing around the country.
"As members of federal law enforcement, we have a shared obligation to lead by example in a way that engenders the trust and confidence of the communities we serve," Monaco said.