California Bans Doctors From Using ‘Excited Delirium’ as Cause of Death

The use of the term has undergone a complete policy reversal over the past few years, prompted by the high-profile death of George Floyd in 2020.

A man is arrested by a Los Angeles police officer in Venice Beach, Calif., on June 2, 2020. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Doctors and government officials can no longer use the term “excited delirium” as a valid medical diagnosis or cause of death for those who die while in police custody in California.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 8 signed Assembly Bill 360, authored by Assemblyman Mike Gipson, a Democrat, making California the first state to ban the use of the term. The law will take effect Jan. 1.