Risks of handcuffing someone facedown long known; people die when police training fails to keep up [Video]

Instructor Dave Rose demonstrates a prone handcuffing position on a student during an Arrest & Control Instructor course in Sacramento, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024. Rose has trained generations of officers that prone restraint is safe. His pupils are instructors who take his training back to their departments. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

For decades, police across the United States have been warned that the common tactic of handcuffing someone facedown could turn deadly if officers pin them on the ground with too much pressure or for too long.

Recommendations first made by major departments and police associations culminated in a 1995 federal safety bulletin that explained keeping someone on their chest in what’s known as prone restraint can dangerously restrict breathing. The solution: Once cuffed, turn them onto their side.

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