Denver Police Department Bans Chokeholds and Makes Other UOF Policy Changes

The Denver Police Department on Sunday announced changes to the department's use-of-force policies, banning chokeholds and requiring officers to report any incident in which they point a sidearm at an individual.

June 8, 2020

The Denver Police Department on Sunday announced changes to the department's use-of-force policies, banning chokeholds and requiring officers to report any incident in which they point a sidearm at an individual. Further, the new policies will require all SWAT operators to activate their body-worn cameras while executing tactical operations.

According to the Denver Post, the department issued a press release announcing the changes, which come as demonstrators continue to protest the in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in late May.

The police department said it was making the changes "in an effort to maintain the highest level of public accountability."

The new ban on chokeholds is a full prohibition on carotid-artery compression techniques and includes no exceptions.

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