Civil Rights Lawyer – Positional Asphyxia sometimes occurs during Police Restraint in Texas
Police frequently use restraint methods on people, and positional asphyxia and sudden death can occur as a result.
What is positional asphyxia?
Positional asphyxia, also known as restraint asphyxia, is the obstruction of a person’s breathing because of a restraint technique being used on him or her. Restraint asphyxia happens when a person’s body position compromises the ability to breath. If the activity isn’t stopped, the result can be death caused by asphyxia or suffocation.
A study was done and reported this summer in the Austin American Statesman out of Austin, Texas. The report alleges that medical examiners cited the process of restraint as a contributing cause of 50 fatalities that occurred in Texas while people were in custody over the past ten years. There is, however, very little research done specifically on asphyxia caused by or related to police restraint.
True-life examples of alleged positional asphyxia
Edgar Vera allegedly resisted arrest in Allen, Texas, in August 2005 when police officers were placing him under arrest for an outstanding warrant for a seat belt violation. During the struggle, Vera died. The medical examiner in Dallas, Texas, found that the death was caused by “positional asphyxia.”
A high profile case that gained widespread attention occurred in Staten Island, New York City in July 2014. A chokehold was placed on Eric Garner for allegedly illegally selling single cigarettes from packs. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide and said the cause of death was compression of the neck and chest with prone positioning during police restraint.
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–Guest Contributor
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