Today, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a memorandum establishing new guidelines on the use of chokeholds, carotid restraints and “no knock” warrants.
The memorandum directs the Department’s law enforcement components to prohibit the use of chokeholds and carotid restraints unless deadly force is authorized. This policy is completely consistent with the National Consensus Policy on the Use of Force that the National Fraternal Order of Police helped develop.
The memorandum also restricts the use of “no knock” warrants by the Department’s law enforcement components to situations in which there are reasonable grounds to believe that knocking and announcing “would create an imminent threat of physical violence.” The memorandum lays out the procedure for requesting a “no knock” warrant and provides exceptions for exigent circumstances and national security matters.
Please note that this memorandum only impacts the Federal law enforcement components of the DOJ.
