An influential group of law enforcement leaders is pushing police departments to change how officers use force when they subdue people and to improve training so they avoid “consistent blind spots” that have contributed to civilian deaths. Calling the use of force “a defining issue in policing today,” the Police Executive Research Forum issued new guidance it says can reduce the risks of deaths after police restraint, the Associated Press reports. The group credited an ongoing investigation led by AP for inspiring the reforms.
The AP and its reporting partners created a database of more than 1,000 deaths over a decade after officers used tactics meant to subdue people without killing them — the same category of force that killed George Floyd. PERF's recommendations, which span better coordination with medical responders, de-escalation tactics and adherence to long-standing safety warnings, apply to all incidents officers handle. The group focused on a particular type of case that AP documented: People in a medical, mental or drug crisis who die after police use physical blows, restraints or weapons like Tasers. The group’s report shifts the focus from blaming those with mental illness and addiction for their own deaths. “These people are not suspects. They are patients,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, who two years ago took over a department at the center of calls for change after Floyd was killed there in 2020. “This is not just about making it safer for a patient. It’s about increasing safety for everyone.”
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