Mission College Prep administrator restrains student with choke hold

November 15, 2017

Administrator Russ Griffith with a student whose face has been concealed to protect his privacy.

An administrator at Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School in San Luis Obispo is on suspension after he placed a student in a headlock during lunch on Nov. 3. Several students then shared photos of the altercation on social media. [Cal Coast Times]

Photos show Russ Griffith, a former San Luis Obispo police officer, restraining a star of the football team in a carotid choke hold. In this type of hold, a person’s neck is placed in a V between an officer’s forearm and upper arm while pressure is applied to the carotid arteries on the sides of the neck.

The student was not injured in the alleged assault and played football later that evening, a parent of another student said.

Shortly after 2 p.m., police were dispatched to the school to investigate the altercation. Less than two-hours later, officers listed the altercation as an assault, wrote a report, but did not make an arrest, according to the police department’s summary report.

Read entire article at Cal Coast Times.


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I don’t know where you people get the idea this is a choke hold it is a sleeper hold. No choking involved the pressure is on the carotid artery cutting of blood supply to the brain. I am no prude but a lot of people need to clean up their language from pre teens to seniors. In 1949 in Germany we got a new col. He walked around listening to officers and EM after a week he had a Battillion meeting and said clean up your language or I will clean out your wallet.One major whispered to another ain’t that a SOB..The Col turned around an said alright Major tha will be twenty five dollars.


Now a restraining order against this administrator has been placed. Why is this guy still employed?


These days, Mission Prep is choking-literally.


How can anyone have an opinion whether or not the restraint was justified based on the lack of information, re: how dangerous the student was to other students at the time Russ took action. I supervised Russ at SLOPD for several years, and even under some pretty high stress incidents (search warrants on armed suspects, etc.) I never saw Russ even come close to losing his cool. He had a gift for talking down hostile people, so I would be surprised if he would resort to force unless necessary. Let’s let the investigation play out.


I very am disappointed to hear that choke holds are an accepted practice for SLO LEOs. I’ll remember not to swear in their presense for fear of being choked to death.


If that choke hold is an illegal choke hold for police to use in non-deadly circumstances, wouldn’t it seem logical that someone could conclude that its use isn’t justifiable in this instance?

Being his former supervisor in the SLOPD you’d also be aware that using it on juveniles is a no-no–for SLO police officers per your regs.

So yeah, one could have an opinion on it based on the information provided.

How dangerous could a student be–sitting at his desk with a cell phone in hand?

If Russ would have still been active duty cop at the time; he would have be afraid that he would not make it out of that classroom alive in order to break out that move –justifiably.

Unlike police officers–administrators don’t get to choke students–without being sued. Then fired.


Russ is a good man with a wonderful family. I have to believe that this kid had it coming and needed to be subdued. There was a time when the kids didn’t run the show and respected authority. Now, their parents sue and the kids learn that they can get away it. And that, my friends, is why we’ve raised a generation of whiny ass entitled little punks who think the world owes them everything. Congratulations progressives!


Russ is a liar, bully, grand illusion of being a “Tough” guy, he was NOT liked while on SLOPD, he left since he did NOT like the Gay Chief of Police, like so many others, he is a troubled XXX Officer. As his former buddies on the SLOPD said they too do NOT want him charged.


This was and is NOT a “Simple” Assault it is clearly defined in the CALF PC as a abuse of a minor and an assault and battery . He is a deeply troubled ego nut job. SLOPD is hiding behind the Police officers bill or rights do the right then MR. DA-DOW issue a felony charge let we the people judge the facts not you to cover up


YOU have to believe he had it coming, or you WANT to believe it?


You know good people make mistakes all the time. Your perception of his inherent goodness, and that of his family, is not in question, but his judgement is.

I can rattle off a long list of people who were thought of as

“good people”–politicians, coaches, clergy, Dr.s, etc. – who upon closer inspection have had considerable humans failures. This may be such an example, I just don’t know. What I do know is your logic would give passes to them all. Al Franken and Roy Moore are good guys to many…do they get a pass?

As transgressions go this is minor, but one which he should be held accountable for.

Poor behavior, and the blame for it, does not lie at the footsteps of progressives as you attest. It lies with the individual– which used to be something a conservative would understand and champion.


This happened at Mission Prep….the students (assumed) poor behavior would have been better corrected with 10 “Our Father’s, 5 or so “Hail Mary’s” and a few hours of community service ladled on by a priest or nun–not a choke hold.


The Catholic Church has done much worse than chokeholds


He’s not a priest, so his options are limited.


It’s mind boggling that someone would think that this is ever the right thing to do.


When they are part of the “special” class and know no real consequences will result from their actions, sometimes illegal actions, it’s not that hard to understand why they do what they do.