Board approves South Bend Police Use of Force Policy

The South Bend Board of Public Safety has approved the new Use of Force Policy for the South Bend Police Department.

The policy passed in a 4-1 vote Wednesday morning.

The board plans to revisit the policy in two months because they said it did not have a clear definition of imminent danger, proportional response and what constitutes the use of deadly force.

Mayor James Mueller said he and his team would work to get the issues addressed within the two month deadline.

The policy prevents the use of chokeholds or strangleholds except when the use of deadly force is required.

It allows the use of force to protect against imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to an officer or another person or to stop a fleeing subject under certain conditions, including the imminent risk of death or bodily injury to another person.

Officers are also required to intervene if they see another officer using unnecessary force or violates a police policy.

Click here to view the latest version of the Use of Force Policy