Statement from Rockwall Police Department regarding Minneapolis

(ROCKWALL, TX – May 29, 2020) The Rockwall Police Department has a long history of community support, engagement and responsiveness. We seek out opportunities to improve how we police this great community, knowing that our authority to do so is granted by the very public we serve. We recognize that many in the community may want to know if a situation similar to that in Minneapolis, that resulted in the death of George Floyd could happen here and what, if anything, we are doing differently or to prevent a similar event.

You should know that the Rockwall Police Department specifically trains our officers on the dangers of positional asphyxia and directs officers to move arrested persons onto their side or sit them up immediately after handcuffing in a prone position, to reduce the likelihood that they would experience any difficulty breathing. Officers are also trained to avoid allowing their knees or legs to compress the neck or back of an arrestee while engaged in handcuffing anyone in the prone position.

Furthermore, the Rockwall Police Department trains our officers on the dangers of applying pressure to anyone’s neck area and prohibits the use of any neck restraint except and only if officers are involved in a deadly force situation. We are also committed to the principles of procedural justice for all persons.

Additionally, we are implementing additional training for officers on intervening in the very rare situations where officers may observe conduct not in keeping with our policies. While officers have always been expected to intervene and report these situations, few formal training programs exist to actually train officers on how to intervene immediately and professionally.

The incident in Minneapolis is tragic, was avoidable and there is no justification for it. At the core of the values of the Rockwall Police Department is the sanctity of human life, the dignity and respect to be afforded all people and the inalienable rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.

The men and women of the Rockwall Police Department are an exceptional group of professionals and remain committed to maintaining the highest standards in law enforcement.

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