French police union APN has released a statement requesting the ban on chokeholds to be lifted

FRANCE’S largest police union, the Alliance Police Nationale (APN), has issued a statement against the French Interior Ministry’s ban on the arrest restraint techniques.

The statement reads, “[There is] a lack of reliable means to replace this technique,” and adds “The Alliance requests the maintenance of the ‘head control’ method.”

The Ministry of the Interior has forbidden chokeholds in response to worldwide protests against the killing of American, George Floyd, who died of asphyxiation during an arrest.
Also, Adama Traoré, a 24-year-old black Frenchman, is believed to have died in Paris of asphyxiation while in police custody in 2016which has led to accusations of brutality and racism towards the country’s police force.

Christophe Castaner, France’s Minister of the Interior has entered into negotiations with the APN and pointed out that the chokehold is considered too dangerous and the Ministry would like to work with the APN to find other methods of detaining alleged criminals such as the taser.