Washington statute
RCW 10.116.020 — Chokehold or neck restraint prohibited
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Chapter 10.116: Peace Officers—Tactics And Equipment, Revised Code of Washington.
Full text of RCW 10.116.020
Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the official text of the Revised Code of Washington from the Code Reviser's published files; it is not the official statutes of the State of Washington.
(1) A peace officer may not use a chokehold or neck restraint on another person in the course of his or her duties as a peace officer.
(2) Any policies pertaining to the use of force adopted by law enforcement agencies must be consistent with this section.
(3) For the purposes of this section:
(a) "Chokehold" means the intentional application of direct pressure to a person's trachea or windpipe for the purpose of restricting another person's airway.
(b) "Neck restraint" refers to any vascular neck restraint or similar restraint, hold, or other tactic in which pressure is applied to the neck for the purpose of constricting blood flow.
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