The U.S. Department of Justice in 2014 advised the Spokane Police Department to evaluate its policy on neck restraints . A spokesman for the department didn’t respond to a message Wednesday seeking comment on the policy.

Jenkins said all officers in his department receive annual training on how and when to use the neck restraint. Done incorrectly, he said, it can be dangerous.

Pullman police have used force to subdue arrestees 122 times since April 2014, Jenkins said. That includes any grabbing of wrists or arms to gain compliance, he said. Officers used a lateral vascular neck restraint in 26 of those cases, he said.

Proponents of the move insist it’s safer than a chokehold , although civil rights advocates scoff at the distinction and some law enforcement agencies refrain from using the technique . Neck holds became a subject of intense debate after the 2014 death of Eric Garner, who gasped “I can’t breathe” while being restrained by New York police.

“If needed, it can render someone unconscious until police can subdue him,” Pullman police Chief Gary Jenkins said. “It’s a level of force that we employ if lower levels of force, like grabbing an arm or a wrist or something like that, are ineffective.”

Ideally, a person’s windpipe is placed in the crook of the officer’s elbow, rather than pressed against the officer’s forearm. Pressure is applied to the carotid arteries on the sides of the neck to avoid crushing the trachea.

Police use the term “lateral vascular neck restraint” to describe a neck hold that restricts blood circulation but not air flow.

Pullman police used a neck hold and a Taser to subdue a former Washington State University football player after he allegedly tried to spend counterfeit cash at a liquor store and became confrontational with employees and bystanders.

Treshon Broughton, a WSU senior who finished his Cougar football career last season, faces charges of resisting arrest and obstructing a law enforcement officer for the Feb. 18 incident at Adams Mall, a popular drinking spot.

Broughton, 22, has been released from the Whitman County Jail and was arraigned on the charges, both gross misdemeanors, on Wednesday. Attempts to contact him and his attorney were unsuccessful.

According to a police report, Officer Shane Emerson responded to Bob’s Corner Market just before 2 a.m. and found Broughton arguing with employees inside. Employees later told police Broughton had tried to buy a cigarette lighter with a $20 bill that was obviously fake.

Emerson asked Broughton for his ID, but he refused to cooperate and the officer suspected he might run, according to the report. Emerson grabbed Broughton’s arm and tried to place him in handcuffs, but Broughton resisted and threw his arms in the air, questioning why he was under arrest, the report states.

Emerson wrote in the report that Broughton appeared drunk and there was the smell of liquor on his breath. He wrote, “I did not feel comfortable with his resistance and felt it was prudent to fully detain him.”

A second officer, Alex Gordon, arrived and ordered Broughton to comply, but he refused, according to the report.

“Officer Gordon attempted to place Broughton into a lateral vascular neck restraint and Broughton was able to get out of his hold,” Emerson wrote. “We took Broughton to the ground and he remained on his knees, pushing up with his arms. For the record, Broughton was a member of the 2016 WSU football team and from my training and experience appeared exceptionally strong.”

The grappling continued and, at one point, Broughton rolled on top of Emerson, according to the report. After issuing a warning that Broughton ignored, Gordon deployed his Taser into Broughton’s upper back, the report states. Emerson then pinned Broughton to the ground and put on handcuffs.

He was searched incident to arrest and no currency of any kind was found on his person, fake or otherwise, the report states.

The officers said Broughton’s behavior didn’t improve after he was booked into jail.

“Broughton was later placed into a restraint chair, as he was kicking his cell door, removed all of his clothing but his underwear and was yelling, refusing to calm down,” the report states.

“When Broughton was later released, he flooded his cell, demanding to have toilet paper. We offered him toilet paper and he said he would continue to flood his cell unless he was placed into a dry one. He was placed back into a restraint chair.”