New NJ rule: Police force has to be an absolute last resort
Published: December 21, 2020
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal attends the swearing in ceremony of Acting Prosecutor Lyndsay Ruotolo at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth, N.J. on Thursday, July 18, 2019. (Office of the Attorney General / Tim Larsen)
New Jersey is updating its “use of force” policy for the first time in two decades to put strict limits on how police interact with civilians.
Police officers will be prohibited from all forms of physical force against civilians, except as a last resort after de-escalation efforts. Chokeholds and other forms of deadly force such as strikes to the head or neck are only allowed as an absolute last resort if there is imminent danger of death or serious injury.