Minneapolis police officers have left 44 people unconscious through the use of neck restraints during arrests in the last five years, according to an NBC News analysis of police records.
During the same time frame, Minneapolis police were found to have used neck restraints at least 237 times, according to the department's use-of-force records.
The analysis comes following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, who died after a Minneapolis police officer pinned him to the ground by his neck for a prolonged period of time.
Outrage over Mr Floyd's death escalated when a video showing the incident unfold was posted online. In the footage, Mr Floyd can be heard saying “I can’t breathe” multiple times.
Four police officers were fired on Tuesday in connection with Floyd’s arrest. Derek Chauvin, the officer who held Mr Floyd to the ground, was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter on Friday,
The data analysed by NBC News showed that in 16 percent of incidents where neck restraints were used, the suspects and other individuals lost consciousness,
It also showed that three-fifths of those subjected to neck restraints and then rendered unconscious were black.
In most of the cases, when the restraint was used it was in cases where a suspect fled on foot or tensed up as they were being taken into custody, the network said.
The data also reportedly showed that almost half of the people who lost consciousness were injured, but the reports did not state the severity of the injuries that were sustained.
Ed Obayashi, an attorney and the deputy sheriff in Plumas County, California, told NBC News that US police departments have been moving away from the use of neck restraints and chokeholds due to their ability to seriously harm people.
“It's common sense,” Mr Obayashi said. “Any time you cut off someone's airway or block blood flow to the brain, it can lead to serious injury or death as we have seen in so many of these tragedies. By using this tactic, it's a self-fulfilling tragedy.”
A Minneapolis city official reportedly told the broadcaster that the tactic Mr Chauvin used is not sanctioned by the Minneapolis police department.
“The [Minneapolis] policy doesn't appear to reflect what California and other law enforcement agencies using best practices recognise, which is if officers don't use extreme caution with this force option, the likelihood of serious injury or death rises significantly,” Mr Obayashi, who is a national use-of-force expert that trains and advises California police agencies, said.
“This seems to be a routine practice by the Minneapolis Police Department,” said Mr Obayashi. “As a cop, the tone is there, 'Use it when you think it's appropriate.'”
A version of the Minneapolis Police Department's policy manual available on its website does permit the use of neck restraints that can render suspects unconscious, but its protocol regarding restraints has not been updated in eight years, according to NBC News.
The outlet noted that for most major police departments, variations of neck restraints are highly restricted or banned.
However, it is difficult to compare how the Minneapolis police department to other cities the same size due to a lack of publicly available data, the network said.
The death of Floyd while in custody has prompted widespread unrest and protest across the country and in particular, Minneapolis where riots have escalated through the state for over four days.
Minneapolis Police Department did not immediately reply to The Independent's request for comment.
