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Home My WebLink About2020-06-02; Carotid Control Hold; Gallucci, NeilTo the members of the: CITY COUNCIL Date (pl::d.:m cA ✓ cc ✓ CM _✓,;;-;;_ ACM ✓ DCM (3) v June 2, 2020 To: From: Via: Re: Council Memorandum Honorable Mayor Hall a Neil Gallucci, Chief of Poh Scott Chadwick, City Manag r CAROTID CONTROL HOLD {cityof Carlsbad Memo ID# 2020110 The Carlsbad Police Department only allows the use of a carotid control hold under objectively reasonable standards. Carlsbad Police Department policy limits the use of the hold to situations where the subject is violent or physically,resisting, or, the subject, by words or actions, has demonstrated an intention to be violent and reasonably appears to have the potential to harm officers, him/herself or others. The carotid control hold, or bilateral vascular restraint also known as the lateral vascular neck restraint, is a technique that compresses one or both carotid arteries without compressing the airway, resulting in rapid loss of consciousness. When applied properly, this technique tends to resolve incidents without more severe force options being needed, by incapacitating suspects without serious injury. The use of this technique not only reduces the risk of injury to suspects, but it also puts officers at less risk for getting injured and reduces danger to the public. According to the multiple studies cited below, no medical reason exists to expect that death or serious bodily injury will ordinarily follow a correct application of a vascular neck restraint. A study by the Canadian Police Research Centre found that oleoresin capsicum (OC/mace) is the force option least injurious in practice. Furthermore, electronic control weapons (Tasers) and the carotid control hold were the next least injurious, with 52.9% of suspects who had these force options used on them, being completely uninjured after usage, with the vast majority of the injuries suffered being minor. Carlsbad Police officers receive training on the proper method of applying the carotid control hold at least once a year. Last year the District Attorney's Office conducted a review of San Diego County agencies and their uses of the hold. The DA's office indicated that all municipal agencies as well as the Sheriff's Department, and even the DA Investigators, have policies permitting the application of the hold. The hold is authorized for use by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training and is an approved technique trained at the San Diego Regional Police Academy. As was seen in the tragic death of George Floyd, the use of body weight and a knee on the neck is an application of force entirely inconsistent with all training provided to members of the Carlsbad Police Department. Furthermore, Carlsbad Police officers witnessing any excessive Police Department 2560 Orion Way I Carlsbad, CK92010 I 760-931-2170 t Carotid Control Hold Jun.2,2020 Page 2 force have an absolute duty under department policy to intervene and prevent the excessive force, and a duty to report the use of excessive force to a supervisor. Since 2017, the carotid control hold was used a total of eight times by members of the Carlsbad Police Department. During thos~ eight applications, there were no major injuries resulting from the use of the hold. Additionally, department policy requires documentation of any use of force as well as supervisory notification and review. Below are statistics which report the number of times that a Carlsbad Police officer reported using force and the number of times that a Carlsbad Police officer reported applying the carotid control hold. Use of Force Statistics Year Officer Reported Use of Force** Cases Involving Carotid Control Hold 2017 113 3 2018 127 2 2019 105 1 2020* 46 2 *2020 is year-to-date as of June 1, 2020 **These numbers reflect individual officer reports of use of force. Some incidents involve more than one officer reporting the use of force. Therefore, the number of incidents involving the use of force will be less than these numbers. Below is a portion of the Carlsbad Police Department's policies related to the use of the carotid control hold and the reporting of use of force incidents. 300.3.4 CAROTID CONTROL HOLD The proper application of the carotid control hold may be effective in restraining a violent or combative individual. However, due to the potential for injury, the use of the carotid control hold is subject to the following: (a) The officer shall have successfully completed department-approved training in the use and application of the carotid control hold. (b) The carotid control hold may only be used when circumstances perceived by the officer at the time indicate that such application reasonably appears necessary to control a person in any of the following circumstances: 1. The subject is violent or physically resisting. 2. The subject, by words or actions, has demonstrated an intention to be violent and reasonably appears to have the potential to harm officers, him/herself or others. · (c) The application of a carotid control hold on the following individuals should generally be avoided unless the totality of the circumstances indicates that other available options reasonably appear ineffective, or would present a greater danger to the officer, the subject or others, and the officer reasonably believes that the need to control the individual outweighs the risk of applying a carotid control hold: Carotid Control Hold Jun.2,2020 Page 3 1. Females who are known to be pregnant 2. Elderly individuals 3. Obvious juveniles 4. Individuals who appear to have Down Syndrome or who appear to have obvious neck deformities or malformations, or visible neck injuries (d) Any individual who has had the carotid control hold applied, regardless of whether he/ she was rendered unconscious, shall be promptly examined by paramedics or other qualified medical personnel and should be monitored until examined by paramedics or other appropriate medical personnel. (e) The officer shall inform any person receiving custody, or any person placed in a position of providing care, that the individual has been subjected to the carotid control hold and whether the subject lost consciousness as a result. (f) Any officer attempting or applying the carotid control hold .shall promptly notify a supervisor of the use or attempted use of such hold. (g) The use or attempted use of the carotid control hold shall be thoroughly documented by the officer in any related reports. 300.5 REPORTING THE USE OF FORCE Any use of force by a member of this department shall be documented promptly, completely and accurately in an appropriate report, depending on the nature of the incident. The officer should articulate the factors perceived and why he/she believed the use of force was reasonable under the circumstances. To collect data for purposes of training, resource allocation, analysis and related purposes, the Department may require the completion of additional report forms, as specified in department policy, procedure or law. 300.5.1 NOTIFICATION TO SUPERVISORS Supervisory notification shall be made as soon as practicable following the application of force in any of the following circumstances: (a) The application caused a visible injury. (b) The application would lead a reasonable officer to conclude that the individual may have experienced more than momentary discomfort. (c) The individual subjected to the force complained of injury or continuing pain. (d) The individual indicates intent to pursue litigation. • (e) Any application of a TASER device or control device. (f) Any application of a restraint device other than handcuffs, shackles or belly chains. (g) The individual subjected to the force was rendered unconscious. (h) An individual was struck or kicked. (i) An individual alleges any of the above has occurred. Relevant Sources of Information A. Canadian Police Research Centre's National Study on Neck Restraints in Policing, 2007 Carotid Control Hold Jun.2,2020 Page 4 B. "Bilateral Vascular Restraint -Facts and Myths of the Carotid Restraint," The Tactical Edge, Summer 2010, by Dr. John Pi, MD, Chuck Joyner, et al. C. Advanced Concepts in Defensive Tactics: A Survival Guide for Law Enforcement, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis, 2011 CC: Celia Brewer, City Attorney