Less pressure than it takes to crack an egg: The strangulation threat to domestic violence victims
by Caroline Love, Kera News: It takes less pressure on the neck to knock out a victim of domestic violence than it does to crack an egg. And death can come very quickly.
Impeding someone’s breath or circulation can be a felony under Texas law. It can be hands on the neck, a pillow over the face, even a forearm pressed against the windpipe — all of those are considered attempted strangulation in domestic violence circles.
Janet Langbein from Genesis Women’s Shelter in Dallas says four pounds of compression on an airway can knock someone out in a few seconds. More than a minute can be fatal.