Dallas police chief bans controversial neck hold

After months of protest from civil rights groups, Police Chief David Kunkle has banned the department's use of a neck hold that contributed to a man's death last year. Kunkle said Friday he plans to brief Dallas City Council members on his decision Monday and ask them to buy 400 Tasers, a type of electrical stun gun. The chief's briefing paper to the council said the neck hold is "difficult to apply in field conditions" and officers may not know about suspects' pre-existing medical conditions. The Rev. L. Charles Stovall of the Unified Organizations for Justice, an activist coalition, welcomed the ban. "This is something that needed to be done, and it's something that we rejoice is happening," Stovall said.  [more]