[LostInBayport]

The officers called for medical very early in the process.

So if they suspected a medical condition like a heart attack, why the knee on the neck then?

[Zhang Fei]

So if they suspected a medical condition like a heart attack, why the knee on the neck then?

He might have been faking. Note that the deceased is a felon who was involved in a home invasion and held a gun against a woman’s head. I don't know if he was gentle, but he was definitely a giant. Here's a picture of the guy:

My estimate is 250 lbs. In that area, that squad of police was basically a Fort Apache on wheels, watching for people to take a potshot. The knee on the neck is right out of the MPD manual. In hairy areas, the idea is to keep the hands free to return fire from the man’s friends or ward off attacks from random ferals angry that a black criminal is being hassled.

In Minneapolis, kneeling on a suspect’s neck is allowed under the department’s use-of-force policy for officers who have received training in how to compress a neck without applying direct pressure to the airway. It is considered a “non-deadly force option,” according to the department’s policy handbook.

[DivineMomentsOfTruth]

So if they suspected a medical condition like a heart attack, why the knee on the neck then?

I know.. especially after he had no pulse for 2 minutes.. The police officer is a bad apple with a record of abuse.

[lewislynn]

The officers called for medical very early in the process....

why the knee on the neck then?

To hold him down until medical help came genius.