Sarasota Police Suspend Restraint Technique

SARASOTA, FL — Sarasota Police Chief Bernadette DiPino has ordered her officers to stop using a neck restraint following the national outcry over the death of George Floyd, who can be seen on video struggling to breathe and pleading for help as a Minnesota police officer pressed his knee deep into Floyd's neck.

"Effective immediately, officers of the Sarasota Police Department will no longer utilize the vascular neck restraint as delineated in S.O.P. 703 — Use of Force," DiPino wrote in a May 27 order the agency shared with Patch.

The former high school football star's death touched off several days of violent protests in Minnesota and sparked protests across the United States, prompting President Donald Trump to threaten to send in the National Guard Friday unless the Minneapolis mayor could bring his city "under control." See also Miami-Area Police Chiefs 'Outraged' Over Death Of George Floyd and George Floyd Protest: Fire Breaks Out At Saint Paul Auto Shop

The Sarasota Police Department's procedure permitted officers who were trained in the vascular neck restraint technique to use it on any person who demonstrated "active physical resistance to resist arrest" and who appeared to have the ability to physically harm the officer or others, if the use of lesser force was not likely to "achieve safe control of the subject."

The neck restraint technique compresses the carotid arteries and jugular veins, according to the suspended Sarasota procedure.

"Used properly, this technique results in a decreased blood supply to the brain which leads to altered levels of consciousness allowing an officer to gain compliance of the subject," the suspended procedure stated.

The agency's Genevieve Judge told Patch she doesn't believe the Minnesota officer was using the same technique that had been permitted in Sarasota.

"No where in our policy at SPD does it mention an officer can use a leg or knee to administer a VNR," Judge said. She said she did not know if the suspension of the technique would be permanent.

"The Sarasota Police Department is taking this opportunity, with the national discussion that is happening, to review our policy on VNR," Judge said. "We’re conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the technique to make sure it’s being used appropriately and within policy. To say if it’s temporary or permanent is unknown at this time."

In the event the person lost consciousness, Sarasota officers had been instructed to "immediately discontinue compression but maintain control of the subject."

The policy told Sarasota officers to place handcuffs on the person and place them in a "side-laying recovery position" as they were "continuously" monitored until they regained consciousness.

Sarasota officers were instructed to call for emergency medical assistance if the person did not regain consciousness within 30 seconds after the technique was discontinued, if they exhibited weak or not vital signs or if they failed to return to their previous state.

Judge said Chief DiPino felt it was necessary to suspend the technique at this time.

"While the incident in Minneapolis was not an officer from the Sarasota Police Department, Chief DiPino said reviewing incidents like this and recommitting ourselves to being better, doing what is right, and being proud of our actions is important and valuable," Judge added.