Video: Officers trained and certified in defensive tactic

Law enforcement officers never want to go hands on with a suspect, but there are several scenarios were they must. On Wednesday, officers throughout the county and metro area were trained and certified in the Carotid Hold also known as the neck restraint.

The eight-hour instruction time held inside the Armory, included classroom sessions, training and a written test for officers with the Guthrie Police Department, Logan County Sheriff’s Office, Crescent Police Department, The Village Police Department and jailers with the Logan County Jail.

Overlooking the class was certified Defensive Tactics Instructors Lt. Mike Loya with the Guthrie Police Department, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Terry Hinkle and Greg Reece with The Village Police Department.

Students were shown handcuffing, neck restraint and medical procedures. Afterwards, they put all three procedures to the test in a simulated scenario with a suspect who was not willing to obey the officer’s instructions.

The Carotid arteries are major blood vessels in the neck that supply blood to the brain, neck, and face. While it may look like a choke hold, pressure is applied more to the sides of the neck and farther away from the sensitive area of the throat. The technique works consistently with minimal damage to the person on the receiving end. This is why small officers have successfully submitted much larger, stronger resistors.