Photo courtesy of NBC News.
The Department of Justice announced that there would be limits on choke-holds and no-knock warrants on Sept. 14, but no ban, according to NBC News.
The new policy is meant to prevent members of the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service from employing such police tactics unless not doing so jeopardizes their lives.
The Department of Justice policy bars authorities from using the tactics unless they are involved in a situation where they need to use deadly force. The DOJ defines deadly force aswhen an agent has a “reasonable belief” that suspect poses “imminent danger of death” or “serious physical injury” to agent or another person.
Law enforcement agents are also barred from using no-knock warrants unless not doing so poses a threat to the lives of the officers or evidence.
Attorney General Merrick Garland released a statement saying that the new policy is the DOJ’s attempt to reduce police brutality and noted that the tactics have led to tragedy.
“Building trust and confidence between law enforcement and the public we serve is central to our mission at the Justice Department.”
“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.”
As Sister 2 Sister reported, Breonna Taylor was killed on March 13, 2020 during a no-knock raid when the Louisville, Kentucky police burst into her apartment and shot her five times. She was 26-years-old.
The police were serving a warrant for a man who they knew resided at another residence and also had a warrant for. No-knock warrants are now banned in the city.
Forty-three-year-old Eric Garner was killed in Staten Island on July 17, 2014 when New York police officers employed a choke-hold on him, which was unauthorized, for allegedly selling loose cigarettes. His last words were, “I can’t breathe.”