Indiana police officers are now required to adhere to the same regulations while utilizing chokeholds during their duty.
The Indiana Law Enforcement Academy recently implemented a revised use of force policy which restricts the use of chokeholds to only those situations where an officer could face severe bodily harm. The decision to ban chokeholds was made by the Indianapolis Metro Police last year following the tragic death of George Floyd.
Tim Horty, the executive director of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, explains that the use of deadly force has the highest threshold in terms of severity. The standard for such force is “serious bodily injury”. For instance, if someone pushes you in the chest, it is not considered a substantial risk of serious bodily injury. However, if someone comes at you with a knife and there is an imminent threat of serious bodily injury, you do not have to wait until the individual plunges the knife into your chest to use deadly force.
According to Horty, the policy regarding chokeholds is grounded in the principle of “reasonableness”. This policy is a direct outcome of the guidelines set forth by Indiana state statutes, as well as decisions made by the United States Supreme Court and Indiana case law.
Horty emphasizes that the use of deadly force is a complex issue with ambiguous boundaries. This is precisely why he believes that a definitive rule should be established for all law enforcement officers in Indiana.
In an interview with WISH-TV, Horty emphasizes that the standards for their job are not easy to meet. This is what makes their position challenging. That’s also why they believe that a standardized policy is necessary across the state, so that every officer can have a clear understanding of what is considered reasonable and what is not.
New laws may impact police use of force, leading to potential changes in the chokehold policy.