(LOS ANGELES, CA – 6/10/2020) The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today welcomed the announcements from local law enforcement agencies that they were suspending the use of carotid holds.
According to CBS/2, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Long Beach and Corona police departments joined the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and Santa Ana, Pasadena, El Monte and Placentia police department in suspending the use of the hold, which restricts blood flow to a person’s brain by applying pressure to the sides of the neck.
In Anaheim, police are only authorized to use carotid holds in situations where lethal force is deemed necessary – at times when a victim or officer’s life is at risk.
WATCH: Long Beach Police Ban Controversial Carotid Restraint
In a statement,CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloushsaid:
“We are encouraged to see so many local law enforcement agencies suspend the use of carotid holds, but these holds should have been banned long ago.
“We urge more agencies throughout Southern California to suspend the use of these holds. We agree with Gov. Gavin Newsom that a hold designed to stop a person’s blood from flowing into their brain has no place in modern policing.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Communications Manager Eugene W. Fields, 714-851-4851 or efields@cair.com
