NYPD Fatally Choke Unarmed Man (Video)

18 Jul, 2014

New York mayor Bill de Blasio and police commissioner Bill Bratton on Friday promised a “full and thorough” investigation into an incident, captured on video, in which an unarmed 43-year-old man died after being put into a chokehold by a New York police officer.

On Thursday afternoon, Eric Garner of Staten Island went into cardiac arrest after officers attempted to take him into custody on charges of selling illegal cigarettes. He was pronounced dead at the hospital about one hour later.

A video published by the New York Daily News apparently captures Garner’s final moments.

In the video, a plainclothes officer tells Garner that he watched him sell cigarettes. Garner denies this, saying: “I didn’t sell nothing.”

“Every time you see me, you want to harass me, you want to stop me,” Garner tells the officer.

Garner and the officer continue to quarrel, and then the officer reaches for Garner’s hands in an attempt to place him in handcuffs. Garner resists, and another officer can be seen putting his arm around Garner’s neck and wrestling him to the ground.

In the video, Garner repeats: “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe,” as more officers surround him and keep him pinned to the ground.

De Blasio said he watched the video and was very troubled by what he saw, but urged patience during the investigation by the NYPD internal affairs bureau and the office of the Staten Island district attorney.

“It is too early to jump to any conclusions about this case,” De Blasio said.

Bratton said an ambulance was called, and Garner was taken to the Richmond University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Bratton said Garner had apparently gone into cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital.

Bratton said the use of chokeholds is prohibited by the NYPD because of the concern that they can cause serious injury or death.

“This would appear to have been a chokehold,” Bratton said. “But the investigation both by the district attorney’s office as well as by our internal affairs will seek to make that final determination.”

Bratton said he has directed a review of the NYPD’s policy on the use of of chokeholds.

Last year the Civilian Complaint Review Board, an independent board that investigates alleged misconduct by the NYPD, received 233 allegations of incidents involving chokeholds, according to its 2013 complaint data.

Of those, only two cases were substantiated, and for the vast majority – more than 60% of the allegations from that year – there was not enough evidence to determine what happened.

Bratton said two officers involved in the incident have been assigned to desk duty until the investigation is complete.

The Guardian

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