Last month, Ryan Dreveskracht wrote an article for Trial News regarding what we learned in Lacy v. Snohomish County trial, specifically about the well-known dangers of prone position restraint technique that lead to restraint asphyxia in victims.
He claims that a "small group of academics have permeated vital components of how we train our police in the United States [and how] their opinions—which are not based in reality—have metastasized." The studies cited by these “experts”—written by the same “experts,” in a feedback loop of bad science—conclude that prone position restraint is safe in “healthy adults males.” Be that as it may, the studies do not account for real world conditions, or those who are experiencing delirium, exhaustion, or substance use, or have underlying conditions.
Although this restraint position has led to death “at least 107” times since 2010, according to the article, major police training organizations, including Lexipool’s Police One, continue to perpetuate the dangerous myth that restraint asphyxia has been "debunked."
Ryan Dreveskracht is a partner at Galanda Broadman. Ryan’s practice focuses defending individuals’ constitutional rights and bringing police misconduct and wrongful death cases on local and national levels. Ryan also represents businesses and tribal governments in public affairs, gaming, taxation, and energy development.
