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The law-enforcement lateral vascular neck restraint (also called sleeper hold) is a widely taught blood choke in law enforcement, and is performed from behind by putting an arm around the neck with the crook of the elbow over the midline of the neck. By pinching the arm together while assisting with the free hand, the carotid arteries and jugular veins are compressed on both sides of the neck. This hold does not put any pressure on the airway, but an improperly applied hold can quickly turn into an air choke if the person being strangled resists the hold by attempting to turn around.[5]
Due to risks of fatal injuries, law enforcement agencies may discourage, restrict, or forbid its use. The Los Angeles Police Department, for example, prohibited its officers from using the air choke and restricted use of the carotid hold to instances where death or serious bodily injury was threatened in about 1985, after routinely using chokeholds for many years.[6]
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