In the wake of George Floyd’s police-related death, the topic of chokeholds came up during Friday’s Hamilton County Security and Corrections Committee meeting. Sheriff Jim Hammond told commissioners that chokeholds are only a "last resort."
“We are not allowed to do chokeholds or strangleholds except as the last result to protect your own life or the life of an innocent party,” said Sheriff Hammond.
“For instance, if you are fighting for your own life, nothing is barred and you do what you have to do to get that person off of you.”
Commissioner Warren Mackey then wondered when an officer was to stop a chokehold in that scenario. He wanted to know at what point has the situation de-escalated enough to stop using that technique.
“You only apply force until you gain compliance,” said Sheriff Hammond. “So if the person is unconscious or stops doing what they’re doing, you should immediately relax whatever you are doing now that you’ve gained compliance. That’s where it really goes: comply, comply, comply.”
“If a person has been subdued and can’t breathe, and the officer says stop moving, and the person is trying to get air, I’m just trying to understand that whole mindset,” asked Commissioner Mackey in response. “How do you stop struggling when you can’t breathe?”
Sheriff Hammond said that a well-trained officer knows that if a person is still talking, then that person can still breathe. He said that officer should also know the point that they can relax the chokehold, and see if the person remains calm. Sheriff Hammond said that if the person begins to fight again, then the choke will continue to be applied.
“But the basic rule is, don’t even go there, and do not apply something that will stop a person’s ability to breathe,” said Sheriff Hammond. “There are plenty of other techniques in the book. In the famous cases we all know about, there were plenty of officers in the area there, and that was not a necessary technique.”
“Once a guy has handcuffs behind his back, there’s not a whole lot that person can do,” said Commissioner Mackey. “I’m still trying to understand the mindset that you’ve gotten a guy under control in handcuffs, so at that point, do you need force?”
Sheriff Hammond replied that even if an officer has someone in handcuffs, that person can still run or fight. He said, “They’re still free to get out, run into traffic, get hold of a weapon and turn and fire. Just because they’re handcuffed doesn’t mean they stop fighting.”