Cuffs ON, Weight OFF: 4 Simple Rules Every Officer Should Know During Prone Restraint
Category: Press Article
Publication: Police 1, Patrol Issues
Author: James J. Gerace, Geoffrey Thor Desmoulin
Summary: Prone restraint can become a medical emergency when factors such as intense struggling, obesity, drug use, anxiety, prolonged restraint, hard surfaces, immobilization, and pressure on the torso impair breathing and cause carbon dioxide and metabolic acids to accumulate. To reduce this risk, it recommends four memorable rules for officers: request emergency medical services early, remove all weight from the person’s back and torso once handcuffs are secured, move the person from the prone position to a seated or side-lying position as soon as safely possible, and treat continued struggling or statements such as “I can’t breathe” as warning signs requiring immediate medical evaluation.
