Hawaii County’s police officers have been prohibited for nearly two decades from employing the restraint infamously used by a Minneapolis police officer that led to the death of George Floyd.
The Hawaii Police Department in August 2003 officially prohibited its officers from using any type of carotid and/or neck restraint choke holds in the performance of their duties, though officers hadn’t been receiving training on the techniques since the early 1980s, said Chief Paul Ferreira. That includes using one’s knee to restrain a person lying face down.
“We’ve never taught anything like that — to put your knee on someone’s neck,” said Ferreira who’s been with the department for nearly four decades. “We do not teach this technique.”
The knee-to-neck technique was employed by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25, resulting in the death of Floyd, an unarmed black man who was handcuffed at the time. The incident was captured on video, showing the white police officer’s knee pressed into Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, including several minutes during which Floyd was unresponsive.
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, and three other officers at the scene with aiding and abetting. All four were fired May 26.
Ferreira said he was concerned by the officers’ actions caught on the video, which like the rest of the world, he has watched. He added that once a person is handcuffed, an officer should move away.
“I would agree with what has already been stated that any excessive use of force is totally unacceptable and is not tolerated in the law enforcement community,” said Ferreira. “What happened to Mr. Floyd is very tragic and affects every law enforcement professional across the nation; with that stated, we ask the community not to judge all police officers, based on what happened, more especially here in Hawaii.”
He noted that the department has had no issue with the peaceful Black Lives Matter protests that have been taking place on Hawaii Island, including one that drew hundreds Saturday along Kilauea Avenue in Hilo.
“It reminds our officers that whatever they do, whether it be on-duty or off-duty, it reflects on all police officers,” he said.
The 46-year-old’s death two weeks ago continues to stoke protests in Hawaii and beyond over racial injustice, prompting municipalities and department’s across the U.S. and world to reassess their use of force policies. France has halted the use of choke holds, as has the nation’s eighth largest city, San Diego. Even Hawaii’s largest police department, the Honolulu Police Department is making immediate changes.
On Monday, Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard said the department was temporarily stopping its officers from employing vascular neck restraints while a committee examines the department’s use of force policy, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. She said the review was prompted by intense protests across the U.S.
Choke holds apply pressure from the front and stop the individual from breathing, while carotid holds involving applying pressure to vascular veins to temporarily cut off blood flow to the brain, rendering the person unconscious. Ballard said a vascular neck restraint entails an officer using an elbow to put even pressure against the chest and neck.
Ferreira said that whenever an incident arises — such as what occurred on the mainland — the department will review policies and procedures to “determine if changes are necessary.”
“The review would be done by my office, our command staff and/or subject matter experts (i.e., training instructors). Additionally, all of our policies and procedures are continuously being reviewed by our CALEA staff, as part of our accreditation requirements,” he said. “As for a public review, no that is not done, but the public is always welcome to provide comments/concerns about the department through our website email or written correspondence sent directly to the department.”