The November 2015 death of an inmate in Colorado has called into question a common, yet sometimes deadly restraint tactic – it's called "positional asphyxia" and the Justice Department has warned officers about its dangers for a long time.

During a psychotic episode, Denver sheriff's deputies restrained a 112-pound jail inmate, which caused the frail man to suffocate, killing him. Now, his death has drawn scrutiny about the way the deputies subdued him: face-down on the floor, while five deputies held him down on his stomach.

For some time, experts have warned about this common, yet dangerous tactic where someone is restrained while on their stomach, saying that it can be fatal, especially when the person is mentally ill or has medical problems.

This method has been linked to a number of deaths across the country, but still, some officials in law enforcement contend that it's the best way to protect their safety while controlling combative people.

On Jan. 22, 2016, officials released the footage of what happened between M. Marshall, 50, a homeless man who was jailed for trespassing, and the deputies. According to the medical examiner, Marshall died from "cardiorespiratory arrest during restraint."

Marshall's death is not the first of its kind; for years the Justice Department has raised warned officers about the dangers of "positional asphyxia."

"As soon as a suspect is handcuffed, get him off his stomach," the DOJ wrote in a bulletin issued in 1995.

Despite the DOJ's warnings, the technique continues to be cited in high-profile deaths, including that of T. Anderson, a mentally ill woman who was held down on her stomach after trying to escape from the back of a patrol car.

Unfortunately, a lack of accountability in facilities nationwide contribute to this problem.

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