Wisconsin Senate votes to ban police chokeholds

By SCOTT BAUER Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Senate has voted to prohibit police from using chokeholds, except in life-threatening situations or to defend themselves.

The bill approved Wednesday won bipartisan support. Critics have said there should be a total ban on chokeholds. Many Wisconsin police departments have already enacted similar policies and chokeholds are not taught as a compliance technique during law enforcement training.

However, backers of the bill say explicitly banning them statewide would be another step toward ensuring they are not used.

The measure is one in a series of police reform bills making their way through the Wisconsin Legislature a year after George Floyd's death in Minneapolis.