*NOTE: This section includes amendments by temporary legistation that will expire on March 25, 2023. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation affecting this section, click this link: Permanent Version.*
The Council of the District of Columbia finds and declares that law enforcement and special police officer use of neck restraints constitutes the use of lethal and excessive force. This force presents an unnecessary danger to the public. On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd by applying a neck restraint to Floyd with his knee for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people in cities and states across the world, including in the District, have taken to the streets to peacefully protest injustice, racism, and police brutality against Black people and other people of color. Police brutality is abhorrent and does not reflect the District's values. It is the intent of the Council in the enactment of this subchapter to unequivocally ban the use of neck restraints by law enforcement and special police officers.
(Jan. 25, 1986, D.C. Law 6-77, § 2, 32 DCR 6497; Aug. 12, 2022, D.C. Law 24-149, § 101(a), 69 DCR 007767.)
1981 Ed., § 4-188.
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 101(a) of Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Act 24-454, June 28, 2022, 69 DCR 007767).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 101(a) of Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Act 24-370, Apr. 7, 2022, 0 DCR 0).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 101(a) of Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Act 24-128, July 29, 2021, 68 DCR 007656).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 101(a) of Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Act 24-76, May 3, 2021, 68 DCR 004935).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 101(a) of Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Act 23-437, Oct. 28, 2020, 67 DCR 12993).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 101(a) of Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Second Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Act 23-336, July 22, 2020, 67 DCR 9148).
For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 101(a) of Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Temporary Amendment Act of 2022 (D.C. Law 24-149, Aug. 12, 2022, 69 DCR 007767).
For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 101(a) of Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Temporary Amendment Act of 2021 (D.C. Law 24-23, Sept. 3, 2021, 68 DCR 005837).
For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 101(a) of Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Second Temporary Amendment Act of 2020 (D.C. Law 23-151, Dec. 3, 2020, 67 DCR 9920).
Mayor authorized to issue rules: Section 5 of D.C. Law 6-77 provided that the Mayor may issue rules to implement the provisions of the act pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 15 of Title 1.