The Long Beach Police Department issued an order Wednesday to suspend the use of the carotid-restraint control hold, or sleeper hold, according to Mayor Robert Garcia.
The announcement came after recent protests in California and across the nation following the in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 27, and the subsequent national dialogue about law enforcement’s use of force.
The Long Beach Police Department is updating its “use of force policy language” to prohibit all types of choke holds and to suspend the use of the carotid restraint as an authorized restraint hold, according to Garcia.
The department plans to review regional data and science regarding the use of the carotid restraint as a control technique, he said.
The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training has notified all law enforcement agencies it has de-certified the use of the hold from training standards.
The Los Angeles Police Department and Pasadena Police Department are among several other agencies to announce a moratorium on the use of the hold.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday called for the end of the carotid hold and similar techniques in California, directing that it be removed from the state police training program and training materials.
“The carotid hold blocks the flow of blood to the brain. It’s a dangerous tactic that should not be used by law enforcement,” Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted Friday.
Newsom committed to working with the Legislature on a statewide ban that would apply to all police departments across the state.