Having been an active street cop for the entire 33 years of my police career, as well as an active police trainer for 43 years, in this series I share some of the defensive tactics techniques that helped me prevail on the street. The series presents a variety of defensive tactics in a format that allows you to follow the instructions and practice the technique. Remember practice makes prepared.
I have had a rear stranglehold attempted on me on three separate occasions on the street. Each time, as it happened, I was making an arrest of another party when a friend or family member intervened to stop the arrest. I had prepared for each moment by giving myself several effective options to defeat the attempt to strangle. I would like to share one of these options with you today. (I want to emphasize that this is a technique, not the technique. There are other options.)
Before I do, it is important for you to understand this. When someone begins an attempt to strangle you, you must immediately counter this unlawful assault. If unchecked, a properly applied stranglehold by a merciless criminal may lead to unconsciousness in moments and, if not released, eventually death.
The rear bar-arm strangle
There are several different strangles this article series will address, but today we will concentrate on the rear bar-arm strangle. A rear bar-arm strangle is when the suspect attacks you from behind by reaching around your neck, using his arm to strangle you by restricting the blood to the brain, as well as your ability to breathe. Your reaction must be early and instinctive or, to put it bluntly, you may become a name on a wall. The counter will be broken down into separate steps, but execution should be as smooth as if it was one movement.
If you are making an arrest, this attack from the rear must become the priority since it is a life-threatening assault. Disengage from the arrest.
Step one: Turtle up
Make like a turtle and “Turtle up!” The moment you sense an arm coming around your neck, your chin goes down closing off access to your trachea, and your shoulders come up to block access to the carotid arteries. This prevents the attacker from restricting the flow of blood and the intake of oxygen.
Step Two: Hook up and pull down
With your hands turned palms toward you, form hooks that hook the attacker’s arm as it comes around your neck and immediately pull down, releasing some of the pressure. Maintain this grip on the assailant’s arm throughout the remainder of the movement.
Step Three: Pivot out
While maintaining the chin-down profile, as well as the double hook of the encroaching arm, you will instantly pivot out. If the arm coming around your neck is coming from the right, your right foot will be the pivot point, and you will slide your left foot to the rear in an arc between you and the suspect as you duck your head, slipping out of the attacker’s grasp.
If the arm coming around your neck is from the left, your left foot will be the pivot point, and you will bring your right foot to the rear in an arc as you duck your head, slipping out to the left. Once out, it would not be unreasonable to draw your duty weapon as you create distance.
The opportunity for cover or control
After escaping the strangulation assault, depending on your skills and the circumstance, you may choose to follow-up as mentioned by creating distance, while covering and communicating commands to the suspects such as “Police! Get Down! Do it Now!”
Depending on your skills and the circumstance, you may recognize that this pivot move puts you in an ideal position to apply a rear compliance hold on the arm and wrist that you are controlling. Your bicep will already be in a position to slide into tight contact with the suspect’s triceps for pressure while you can achieve counter-pressure by maneuvering the palms of your hands on the back of the suspect’s hand bringing it toward your bicep to achieve compliance by administering pain. You may recognize this hold as one you learned in the academy.
Practice time helps ensure personal survival
Escapes from a stranglehold were not part of Wisconsin’s Defense and Arrest Tactics System, but the Training and Standards Bureau in the State of Wisconsin allowed officers to utilize “other trained techniques” beyond the basic state system. However, by using this technique on the street and choosing to train other officers on using this escape, I was taking responsibility for the tactic since it was not a “state-sanctioned technique.”
I learned and have practiced this technique on my own time and my own dime. And I feel comfortable using it and training others to use it because it’s less aggressive than shooting a suspect, which would be defensible in a situation where you’re being strangled.
The effectiveness of the technique is not theoretical since it saved me on two separate occasions without causing injury to either suspect while preventing my own injury or even death.
This brings up two important points. Systems of police defensive tactics are a great start, but these should in no way restrict officers from training beyond the system to enhance their odds of personally surviving deadly assaults.
Secondly, most agencies can’t afford to give you the amount of training you need to remain in fighting condition, while also providing you the physical skills you need. This will take an investment of time and sweat equity, and even your own money, if you are totally dedicated to the proposition, “I will prevail in the face of all threats.”
Now I have one question. If you are jumped by an attacker who attempts to apply a rear strangle, will you fight back or fade to black?
Photos by Anya Marcou. Techniques demonstrated by Lt. Dan Marcou and Aidan Marcou.
