Submitted by Nathan J Green

I do not think there is a police officer anywhere in the world today who does not know the dangers of death in making or attempting to arrest by strangulation hold.

In international law, police stranglehold and chokehold strangulation has recently been identified as one of the most lethal forms of violence: unconsciousness may occur within seconds and death –

https://news784.com/2021/09/09/svg-protest-husband-of-opposition-senator-choked-by-police-now-arrested/

-within minutes. When violence perpetrators choke (strangle) their victims, not only is this felonious assault, but it may be an attempted homicide. Strangulation is an ultimate form of power and control, where the batterer can demonstrate control over the victim’s next breath; having devastated psychological effects or a potentially fatal outcome.

Please watch the video. The recipient had to be treated at the hospital.

Sober and conscious victims of strangulation will first feel terror and severe pain. If strangulation persists, unconsciousness will follow. Although, before lapsing into unconsciousness, a strangulation victim will usually resist violently, it is an uncontrollable natural reaction to struggle violently, it cannot be said to be resisting arrest. The illegal hold often producing injuries of their neck to claw off the assailant, and frequently also producing damage on the face or hands of their assailant. These defensive injuries may not be present if the victim is physically or chemically restrained before the assault. In addition, victims may lose consciousness by any one or all of the following methods: blocking of the carotid arteries in the neck (depriving the brain of oxygen), blocking of the jugular veins (preventing deoxygenated blood from exiting the brain), and closing off the airway, making breathing impossible.

Very little pressure on both the carotid arteries and veins for ten seconds is necessary to cause unconsciousness. However, if the pressure is immediately released, consciousness will be regained within ten seconds. To completely close off the trachea (windpipe), three times as much pressure (33 lbs.) is required. Brain death will occur in 4 to 5 minutes if strangulation persists.

Be aware that strangulation may cause the following symptoms and consequences: difficulty breathing, raspy, hoarse or loss of voice, coughing, difficulty swallowing, drooling, nausea, vomiting, changes in behaviour, hallucinations, headaches, light headiness, dizziness, urination or defecation, miscarriage, swollen tongue, or lips. These symptoms may be an early indication of an internal injury such as swelling, bleeding, fractured larynx (“voice box”) or hyoid bone, seizures, pulmonary oedema (lungs filled with fluid) or death within 36 hours due to progressive internal injuries and complications. On the other hand, it is possible to survive the assault, regain consciousness, refuse medical treatment, and then die later from undiagnosed or unsuspected fatal injury.

Victims should look for injuries on their face, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, chin, neck, head, scalp, chest, and shoulders, including redness, scratches or abrasions, fingernail impressions in the skin, deep fingernail claw marks, ligature marks (“rope burns”), thumbprint-shaped bruises, blood-red eyes, pinpoint red spots called “petechiae” or blue fingernails. All these injuries change in appearance over time after the assault. Some injuries, like redness, may persist for only a few minutes. Others, like petechiae, persist for days. Observing the changes in these signs over time can significantly determine the nature and scope of internal damage produced during the assault and lend credibility to witness accounts of the force and duration of the assault. In addition, documentation by photographs sequentially for days after the assault is beneficial in establishing a journal of physical evidence.

Those assaulted may be able to have a case against their perpetrator heard in the international court if they can establish that they cannot receive proper justice in their own country.

So, if a police officer knows that and still decides to arrest someone by applying strangulation, they must be guilty of attempted murder. There can be no excuse in saying, Oh! I did not know that because, as a police officer, you should know that.

According to the US and the World media reports [it was even well reported in SVG], George Floyd lost consciousness after a Minneapolis police officer placed him in a chokehold. He later died. I know that you the reader knows that, everyone knows that. If the Vincentian police officer did not know, he should be fired from the force for being grossly ignorant and stupid.

In Saint Vincent, there is far too much police brutality with little care if a person lives or dies at their hands. I suggest that when these police officers conduct themselves so: they be named and shamed in the public media. We give their full names and addresses and tell the public who they are and where they live. What police station they are attached to, along with rank and number. Post their photos in public media and be sure to post everything on Facebook. That I believe will stop this kind of behaviour.

If the Minister in charge of the police fails in his duties in not reprimanding the police chief when his officers get out of control,

then we must do his job for him.

Let us start with the officer in the video who almost killed Mr Carlie John. Anyone who can identify him, please send me the details, everything you know about him –