Every day, police in the U.S. rely on common use-of-force tactics that, unlike guns, are meant to stop people without killing them. But when misused, these tactics can still end in death — as happened with George Floyd. An investigation led by The Associated Press has found that, over a decade, more than 1,000 people died after police subdued them through physical holds, stun guns, body blows and other force not intended to be lethal. Medical officials cited the force in about half the cases. In others, officers didn’t follow best safety practices, creating a recipe for death. These deadly encounters happened in nearly every state and the deceased came from all walks of life. The toll, however, disproportionately fell on Black Americans.
