 A frame from the video of Garner tackled by police | |
| Date | July 17, 2014 |
|---|---|
| Time | c. 3:30–3:45 p.m. (EDT)[1] |
| Location | 202 Bay Street, Staten Island, New York, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°38′14″N 74°04′36″W / 40.63716°N 74.07674°W |
| Type | Homicide by suffocation,[2] police killing |
| Participants | Daniel Pantaleo and Justin D'Amico (NYPD officers) |
| Outcome | Pantaleo fired in August 2019 |
| Deaths | Eric Garner |
| Charges | None |
| Litigation | $5.9 million out-of-court settlement |
  Death of Eric Garner  Death of Eric Garner  Death of Eric Garner | |
On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner, an African American man, was killed in the New York City borough of Staten Island by Daniel Pantaleo, a New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer, after the latter put him in a prohibited chokehold while arresting him.[3][4] Video footage of the incident generated widespread national attention and raised questions about the use of force by law enforcement.[5]
NYPD officers approached Garner on July 17 on suspicion of selling single cigarettes from packs without tax stamps. After Garner told the police that he was tired of being harassed and that he was not selling cigarettes, the officers attempted to arrest Garner. When Pantaleo placed his hands on Garner, Garner pulled his arms away. Pantaleo then placed his arm around Garner's neck and wrestled him to the ground. With multiple officers pinning him down, Garner repeated the words "I can't breathe" 11 times while lying face down on the sidewalk. After Garner lost consciousness, he remained lying on the sidewalk for seven minutes while the officers waited for an ambulance to arrive. Garner was pronounced dead at a hospital area approximately one hour later.
The medical examiner ruled Eric Garner's death a homicide. Specifically, an autopsy indicated that Garner's death resulted from "[compression] of neck, compression of chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police".[2] Asthma, heart disease, and obesity were cited as contributing factors.[6]
On December 4, 2014, a Richmond County grand jury decided not to indict Pantaleo. This decision stirred public protests and rallies, with charges of police brutality made by protesters. By December 28, 2014, at least 50 demonstrations had been held nationwide in response to the Garner case, while hundreds of demonstrations against general police brutality counted Garner as a focal point. On July 13, 2015, an out-of-court settlement was reached, under which the City of New York would pay the Garner family $5.9 million. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice declined to bring criminal charges against Pantaleo under federal civil rights laws. On August 2, 2019, at a New York Police Department disciplinary hearing regarding Pantaleo's treatment of Garner, an administrative judge, NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Trials Rosemarie Maldonado, recommended that Pantaleo's employment be terminated.[7] Pantaleo was fired on August 19, 2019, more than five years after Garner's death.[8]
- ^ Baker, Al; Goodman, J. David; Mueller, Benjamin (June 13, 2015). "Beyond the Chokehold: The Path to Eric Garner's Death". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ a b Goldstein, Joseph; Santora, Marc (August 1, 2014). "Staten Island Man Dies From Chokehold During Arrest, Autopsy Finds". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
- ^ "The shifting ground". The Economist. June 11, 2020. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- ^ Carrega, Christina (June 7, 2019). "Judge to suggest future for NYPD cop accused of killing Eric Garner with chokehold". ABC News. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
wnycwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Pearson, Jake (August 1, 2014). "Autopsy: Police chokehold caused NYC man's death". AP. Archived from the original on August 4, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
cbsnews-20190802was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
nyt-20190819was invoked but never defined (see the help page).