And as they point out in that Vice article:
“Any body position that interferes with breathing can cause death,” states a training manual used by police in Victoria, Canada.
That is the main issue with restraint, it’s a lot easier than many people think to asphyxiate someone.
In his experience, it seems that a lot of officers don’t realize how little weight it takes to suffocate someone. It’s not just chest compression that does it, either; pressing down on the lower body can also be dangerous if it prevents the diaphragm from expanding.
