WASHINGTON (CN) — The U.S. Department of Justice announced new limits on chokeholds and "no-knock" warrants by federal law enforcement on Tuesday, a response to a series of controversial deaths attributed to the practices.
Under the new policy, federal agents may not use chokeholds or the carotid restraint technique to subdue suspects unless under threat by deadly force. Similarly, agents will be prohibited from conducting raids without knocking and announcing their presence, unless there is an imminent threat of violence.
“Building trust and confidence between law enforcement and the public we serve is central to our mission at the Justice Department,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “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.”
Chokeholds and carotid restraints have long been techniques used by law enforcement to detain a suspect. Chokeholds restrict a person’s airway while a carotid restraint refers to restricting blood flow to a person’s brain.
Last year, Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, while kneeling on his neck, a type of carotid restraint. Floyd’s death prompted protests around the nation and discussions over law enforcement use-of-force.
The Justice Department’s new policy also limits no-knock entries unless the federal agents believe knocking and announcing their presence would “create an imminent threat of physical violence to the agent or another person.”





