They won't get the officer for murder. They'll discover he had a heart attack from stress and it'll be reduced to manslaughter. Almost guaranteed. Even I find it hard to believe he was strangled. Take a few classes of BJJ or Judo and you'll learn what it looks like when someone is about to go out because of a choke. I hope for everyone's sake the officer is put in the slammer for a long time. I just don't think they'll get him for murder. At best this is complete incompetence, and worse this is manslaughter unfortunately. Have someone pin you by your neck using their leg. A blood choke requires both sides of the carotid artery and/or jugular to be cut off. A wind choke requires the trachea to be force closed or the diaphragm to be crushed. It didn't appear the officer was effectively doing either of these. The only thing that could change this is if an officer was pinning his diaphragm which would strangle him. However that much is off camera. It's possible to induce a stroke by cutting off the blood supply to the head which could also be a case. The smart thing to do is wait for the coroner report before bringing out the pitchforks. At any rate the president and DoJ vow justice and these "violent protesters" (rioters in CNN-speak) are burning down the town still. Unbelievable. I think the way police treat everyone, but especially black people, is absolutely brutal. There are better ways to handle this than burning down the town. You'd find more people would support the protests this way.
Wouldn't blocking only one (instead of both) of them stop the flow of blood, regardless if it called a "blood choke?" I believe I heard a witness say "his nose is bleeding." I'm guessing that if you block the carotid, the brain gets little blood. And if you block the jugular, blood pressure builds up in the brain/head, but the blood provides no new oxygen. I'm guessing this would also cause the nose to bleed. Edit: And having an underlying condition doesn't necessary mean a perfectly healthy person wouldn't have also died under the same exact circumstances. Imo. So, he could still be fully on the hook.
The brain really only needs one side of blood flow to remain viable. I've been choked pretty bad in my BJJ classes but I could sit through it (albeit a little dizzy) because the choke was only applied to one side. A jugular choke (cross choke, d'arce, arm/leg triangle, rear naked choke) will cause someone to be rendered unconscious in under 15 seconds. I know, I've been there. Blood chokes are the fastest acting chokes in the arsenal and also the most deadly. Not only because of the fact you're cutting off the blood supply but could also induce a stroke in a person who isn't healthy. The blood coming from his nose was likely a result of how violently he was tossed around. He was absolutely brutalized by the police. That much is known. But if he was blood choked as suggested he would not have been awake for almost 8 minutes. "I can't breathe" is also consistent with a massive heart attack would could've been induced by stressed. I feel horrible for him. I've been air choked before (a guy got me to submit by driving his forearm into my throat and holding it there) and it's the most miserable feeling you could imagine. I have nothing but sympathy for him and his family. I hope the officer is on the hook fully. I just find a hard time believing a good lawyer could prove otherwise.
Interesting re: the BJJ. How long have you been studying? I know this is more a medical question, but if you know: Could it be that restricting the blood flow via one of those major vessels could also restrict flow to the heart/lungs.
A little under 2 years. I have no idea about the medical reasons things work. Everything I'm talking about is from having it done to me. Though from the little medical knowledge I do know flow to the heart and lungs is internal to the chest and restriction from the neck wouldn't cause a restriction to blood flow there.
I wouldn't say I'm any good. I can defend myself well but I get schooled on by people who know how to attack better than me. I will be learning all my life. BJJ has humbled me w.r.t. fighting in more ways than one. I have a lot more respect for fighters of all kind after doing it for this long. I do my best to not let me ego hurt me. After getting beat up and down the mat for a long time you realize that there will always be someone better than you. There are two things sparring in BJJ has taught me (because it's mostly full-force): 1. Fighting sucks 2. Just don't get into fights EDIT: You can youtube "blood chokes" and probably find a video demonstrating how quickly someone goes out from one that is applied completely.
Underlying health conditions don't change anything because the officers did not know that and cannot suddenly claim that it was not their fault because he had a heart condition. Pin someone's neck with your knee for 8 minutes while they scream they cannot breath and you will get involved manslaughter at a minimum.