PJ TattlerA grand jury on Staten Island has decided to not indict a New York Police Department officer in the death of Eric Garner, who was placed in a chokehold and died of a heart attack.
Garner, who suffered from asthma, was captured on video telling arresting officers that he couldn’t breathe as Officer Daniel Pantaleo’s arm was around his neck, pushing him face-first toward the sidewalk.
The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide, saying compression of the neck and chest with asthma, obesity and hypertensive cardiovascular disease as contributing factors killed Garner.
Officers suspected Garner, 43, was selling loose, untaxed cigarettes. A full video of the incident was shot by a bystander, which shows Garner arguing with police but not being physically aggressive before he was taken down. Witnesses said he caught the eye of cops when he helped break up a fight on the sidewalk.
Via Insty:
My thoughts:"If you expect a Staten Island grand jury to indict a cop, then you don’t know Staten Island."
IIRC, Louisiana law also prohibits the sale of single cigarettes. However, nearly every mom-n-pop convience store does, generally for 25 cents each. It's how they get rid of broken/damaged packs. AND NOBODY GIVES A DAMN, ESPECIALLY THE POLICE.
What I saw in the video was an unneeded arrest by police using excessive force, resulting in the accidental death of the arrestee. That's involuntary manslaughter in my judgement.