[FreeReign]

There are lots of choke types, you are right that this wasn’t a rear naked choke, it was a lateral vascular. It chokes both the arteries and veins on both sides of the neck. It also can choke off air supply if done improperly.

I believe the coroner said the hold did compress the arteries and did not compress the trachea.

[chris37]

So he was in fact able to breath.

Incidentally, compress does not mean cutoff.