Lethal Restraint

An investigation documenting police use of force

Visual Story

Learn about key cases and findings through this visual story that examines force tactics meant to be safer than firearms

Articles

Dozens of deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police

An investigation led by The Associated Press has found that the practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the nation over the last 15 years.

Why did more than 1,000 people die after police subdued them with force that isn't meant to kill?

For years she thought her son had died of an overdose. The police video changed all that

All Articles

All Cases

Explore an interactive database detailing the people who died, the force and restraint officers used, the official cause of each death and more

Documentary

Hear from families, experts and Associated Press journalists in this film documenting the project and its themes

Methodology

Learn about how reporters investigated deaths that the federal government has failed to effectively track

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View additional stories by students at the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism programs at The University of Maryland and Arizona State University.

Reporting by The Associated Press for Lethal Restraint was supported by the Public Welfare Foundation for reporting focused on criminal justice and by Columbia University’s Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights in conjunction with Arnold Ventures. The AP is solely responsible for all of that content.