BOISE, Idaho — Boise Police say an officer was hospitalized Tuesday after he was attacked by a suspect while executing an arrest warrant. The officer ultimately used a level 3 Lateral Vascular Neck Restraint (LVNR) to render the suspect unconscious in a move that was previously suspended by the department in 2020.
In an executive order issued in June 2021, the technique was reinstated but only "in situations where deadly force is authorized."
A news release says the Boise Police officer was struck numerous times by the 32-year-old suspect, Christopher Woodard, using his fists and injuring the officer. The officer responded by deploying his Taser gun multiple time, but could not get the suspect to comply. Officials say Woodard then attempted to pick the officer up and throw him over a third-story balcony railing. That's when the officer used the LVNR "to stop the suspect from causing further injury," according to the release. "Woodard was safely rendered unconscious and taken into custody without the use of deadly force."
The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation before being booked into the Ada County Jail on the felony charge of Battery on a Police Officer and a probation violation.
The officer was treated at a hospital for multiple injuries.
"When an officer comes this close to serious injury or death, I feel obligated to let our community know more about the sacrifices our officers are willing to make for the sake of public safety and the close calls that often happen without the police use of deadly force and without most people’s knowledge,” said Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar.
RELATED | Boise Police suspends Lateral Vascular Neck Restraint technique
The Boise police have been involved in six officer-involved shootings this year that had ended with the suspect being shot and killed
