Controversial Arrest in New York City

Last week, Timothy Brown was arrested in a Brooklyn liquor store in a case of mistaken identity. Within hours, the incident was labeled “extremely disturbing and unacceptable,” and the officers were placed on modified duty pending review.

It was an unfortunate situation for everyone involved. But there is a bigger issue no one is talking about.

In 2020, New York passed the “Diaphragm Law,” making it a crime for officers to apply pressure to a subject’s chest or back in a way that could affect breathing, even if unintentional and even if no injury occurs.

The goal was safety. The result has been the opposite.

By removing the most basic and historically safe control positions, officers are often left with fewer safe options, increasing the likelihood of escalation to strikes, Tasers, or worse.

Rener warned about this in 2020. We are now seeing the consequences, in this incident and so many other like it.

In 2024, we were brought in to train NYPD instructors in SafeWrap, a control system designed specifically for these situations. But after a leadership change, the program was never fully implemented.

If we are going to tell officers what they cannot do, we must also give them safe, effective alternatives.

SafeWrap is one of those solutions.

Help get this message to Mayor Mamdani and Comissioner Tisch. We will share updates on next steps.

http://www.SafeWrapSystem.com