District Of Columbia § 5-125.02 - Definitions.

A “trachea hold,” “arm bar hold,” or “bar-arm hold” means any weaponless technique or any technique using the officer’s arm, a long or short police baton, or a flashlight or other firm object that attempts to control or disable a person by applying force or pressure against the trachea, windpipe, or the frontal area of the neck with the purpose or intent of controlling a person’s movement or rendering a person unconscious by blocking the passage of air through the windpipe.

A “carotid artery hold,” “sleeper hold,” or “v hold” means any weaponless technique which is applied in an effort to control or disable a person by applying pressure or force to the carotid artery or the jugular vein or the sides of the neck with the intent or purpose of controlling a person’s movement or rendering a person unconscious by constricting the flow of blood to and from the brain.