A New Policy at the Tarrant County Jail Aims to Cut Down on In-Custody Deaths

(WBAP/KLIF) – FORT WORTH, TX – The new use of force policy from The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department is called Response to Resistance, and contains new rules about the use of chemical spray and how to avoid positional asphyxia.

The policy states that chemical spray should never be sprayed directly into a subject from a close distance due to the potential for eye injury. It also states that when using force employees should consider the age, size, and physical condition of the employee compared to the subject. The updated policy prohibits prolonged face down prone restraint, and calls for placing prisoners in the recovery position on their side or seated upright as soon as possible.