US state moves to ban ‘hog-tying’ by police — RT World News
The US Department of Justice has long warned that the controversial restraint method leads to the death of suspects in custody
The Washington State Senate unanimously approved a bill prohibiting law enforcement from tying suspects, with some lawmakers suggesting the technique led to the death of a Tacoma man in 2020.
The legislation passed through the state Senate without opposition on Tuesday. During the vote, Democratic state Sen. Yasmin Trudeau cited the case of Manuel Ellis, a 33-year-old man who suffocated while in police custody after his hands and feet were tied together behind his back — a restraint known as a “pig bind.” '
He was loved and someone's family member. I believe that none of us would want a member of our family to spend the last moments of their life in such an inhumane way. said Trudeau, who sponsored the bill.
Before it reaches the governor's desk, the Senate bill will then go to the House for a separate vote.
Another supporter of the measure, state Sen. John Lovick — who served as a state trooper for more than three decades — called the tactic restraint. “Dehumanizing a person.” He described his own experience as an officer “I lived with the shame of watching someone being tied up.”
While the state's attorney general recommended against the technology in a 2022 policy paper, many local police agencies continue to allow it in their guidelines. The US Department of Justice has also urged against the restriction since at least 1995, when it issued a bulletin indicating that officers “Never fasten…cuffs to your leg or ankle.” The memo said that restraint could lead to… “Positional asphyxia” A condition resulting from a lack of oxygen.
The medical examiner ruled Ellis' death while in police custody a homicide caused by lack of oxygen, with three Tacoma officers later charged with murder or manslaughter. All were acquitted late last year after a two-month trial, but the defense argued that Ellis' death was actually the result of heart disease and drug use.
The Tacoma Police Department has since updated its use of force policy, with Chief Avery Moore citing the previous guidelines “Fails to serve the best interests of the police department or the community.”
A lobbyist for the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, James McMahan, argued against the hog banding bill, saying that instead of banning the practice, lawmakers should invest in “Alternatives” Although he declined to suggest any other options the group might support.
You can share this story on social media:
Source link
