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NYPD officers given instruction in takedown techniques

Posted at 1:35 PM, Jul 09, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-09 16:35:51-04

New NYPD training videos released Wednesday clearly show officers what they can and cannot do when taking a suspect into custody,

But sometimes that training does not translate in real life.

There's already there’s a law on the books banning officers from putting people in chokeholds, but the city council wants to take things a step further, banning officers from applying pressure or restricting a suspect's diaphragm.

“It’s tough right now to be a police officer," said NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan. "You have to worry that if a suspect shot at you and you put a knee on his back, that now you become the criminal.”

Monahan said these new rules have his officers fighting crime with their hands tied behind their backs.

Those in favor say that officers are merely being given a script telling them how to behave in a critical incident. However, there are still those that argue that the city council does not have expertise in police tactics.

Even so, the NYPD argues every encounter is different and a blanket law is not the answer.

WPIX's Nicole Johnson first reported this story.