Gavin Newsom directs California police officers to stop training use of carotid hold
"At the end of the day, the carotid hold that literally is designed to stop people's blood from flowing into their brain. That has no place any longer in 21st century practices," Newsom said.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Friday he's instructing California police officers to stop training the use of the carotid hold in detaining suspects.
The carotid hold is a form of choke hold that cuts off blood flow through the carotid arteries to the brain.
"At the end of the day, the carotid hold that literally is designed to stop people's blood from flowing into their brain, that has no place any longer in 21st century practices," Newsom said.
The governor said he is immediately instructing POST, the state's commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, to stop training the carotid hold to officers. He added there was also legislation in the works to ban the carotid hold by law in California and he would sign it as soon as it was brought to his desk.
We last heard from Gov. Newsom on Monday, when he spoke emotionally about the need for action to fight systemic racism in California.
"So often we try to meet the moment with rhetoric. We feign resolve, we make a point to assert a new paradigm. And yet, over and over and over and over again we don't meet that next moment," Newsom said from a church in south Sacramento.
He went on to say, "We have to own up to some very difficult things. The black community is not responsible for what's happening in this country right now, we are. We are, our institutions over and over again, we are responsible we are accountable to this moment."
