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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 20 augusT 2019

NYPD fires officer 5 years after Garner’s chokehold death

By JIM MUSTIAN, MICHAEL London, said he would use storefront window and Those killings, in turn, gave more time to make the ar-
R. SISAK and TOM HAYS legal appeals to try to get then falling to the pave- fire to the Blue Lives Matter rest.”
Associated Press the officer reinstated. He ment. Quickly, Garner, who counter-movement, with The Rev. Al Sharpton said
NEW YORK (AP) — After has insisted the officer used weighed about 400 pounds police union officials argu- Garner’s family was “re-
five years of investigations a reasonable amount of (180 kilograms), appeared ing that the heated rhetoric lieved but not celebratory.”
and protests, the New York force and did not mean to distressed gasping, “I can’t against officers was making “Pantaleo will go home a
City Police Department on terminated man, but this
Monday fired an officer in- family had to go to a fu-
volved in the 2014 choke- neral,” Sharpton said at a
hold death of Eric Garner, news conference.
the black man whose dying Garner’s daughter, Emer-
gasps of “I can’t breathe” ald Snipes Garner, thanked
gave voice to a national O’Neill “for doing the right
debate over race and po- thing.” She said she is urg-
lice use of force. ing lawmakers to make it a
Police Commissioner James crime for any police officer
O’Neill said he fired Dan- to use a chokehold.
iel Pantaleo, who is white, “I should not be here stand-
based on a recent recom- ing with my brother, father-
mendation of a depart- less,” she said.
ment disciplinary judge. De Blasio had never said
O’Neill said he thought whether he believed Pan-
Pantaleo’s use of the taleo should lose his job but
banned chokehold as he promised “justice” to the
wrestled with Garner was slain man’s family, leading
a mistake that could have union officials to say the dis-
been made by any officer ciplinary process appeared
in the heat of an arrest. But rigged.
it was clear Pantaleo had Asked whether the mayor
broken department rules forced his hand, O’Neill
and “can no longer effec- said the dismissal was his
tively serve as a New York choice. He called Garner’s
City police officer.” death an “irreversible trag-
“None of us can take back edy” that “must have a
our decisions,” O’Neill said, consequence.”
“especially when they lead Questions about the han-
to the death of another hu- dling of the case have
man being.” dogged de Blasio during his
The decision was wel- longshot run for president,
comed by activists and Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill makes an announcement at New York City Police Dept. with some protesters at the
Garner’s family, but con- headquarters, Monday, Aug. 19, 2019. recent debate in Detroit
demned by the head of Associated Press chanting, “Fire Pantaleo.”
the city’s largest police hurt Garner. breathe,” at least 11 times them unsafe. Some officers Asked whether he was wor-
union, who declared that Mayor Bill De Blasio, speak- before he fell unconscious. began turning their backs ried the police union might
it would undermine morale ing at City Hall, said he Weeks later, protests erupt- on de Blasio at funerals. start encouraging officers
and cause officers to hesi- hoped the decision would ed in Ferguson, Missouri, Federal authorities kept to drag their feet when
tate to use force for fear let the city, the department over the fatal shooting of a civil rights investigation making arrests, De Blasio
they could be fired. and Garner’s family move 18-year-old Michael Brown. open for five years before said he was certain officers
“The job is dead!” Patrol- forward. Throughout the fall of 2014, announcing last month would “do their job.”
man’s Benevolent Associa- “Today, we are finally see- demonstrators chanted they would not bring Lynch, however, called on
tion President Patrick Lynch ing justice done,” the Dem- “I can’t breathe” as they charges. officers to “proceed with
said at a news conference, ocrat said. “Today will not marched against police City officials had long insist- the utmost caution in this
standing in front of a police bring Eric Garner back, but brutality in multiple U.S. cit- ed that they could not take new reality.”
department flag hung up- I hope it brings some small ies. action until criminal investi- Officers “will uphold our
side down. measure of closure to the When a state grand jury on gations were complete. oath,” he said, “but we
His voice cracking with an- Garner family.” Staten Island declined to In announcing his decision, cannot and will not do so
ger, Lynch called Pantaleo Garner’s death came at indict Pantaelo in Decem- O’Neill said Pantaleo’s ini- by needlessly jeopardiz-
an “exemplary” officer and a time of a growing public ber of that year, protest- tial use of a chokehold as ing our careers or personal
called for union members outcry over police killings of ers poured into the streets the two men grappled was safety.”q
to participate in a no-con- unarmed black men, which by the thousands, vent- forgivable, given the strug-
fidence vote on the mayor sparked the national Black ing frustration that criminal gle. But he said the officer
and commissioner. Lives Matter movement. charges against officers us- should have relaxed his
“It’s absolutely essential Video of the confronta- ing deadly force remained grip once Garner was on
that the world know that tion between Garner and rare, even with video evi- the ground.
the New York City Police the officers trying to ar- dence. “Had I been in Officer
Department is rudderless rest him for selling untaxed Then, a few days before Pantaleo’s situation, I may
and frozen,” he said. “The cigarettes drew outrage Christmas, a man upset have made similar mis-
leadership has abandoned and was viewed millions of about the Garner and takes,” O’Neill said. “And
ship and left our police of- times online. Brown cases fatally shot had I made those mistakes,
ficers on the street alone, The footage showed Gar- two New York City police I would have wished I had
without backing.” ner, 43, and Pantaleo officers as they sat in their used the arrival of backup
Pantaleo’s lawyer, Stuart lurching against a glass cruiser in Brooklyn. officers to give the situation