NEW YORK (AP) — The medical examiner has ruled that the chokehold of a police officer on a New York City man last month caused his death.
Medical examiner spokeswoman Julie Bolcer said Friday that Eric Garner’s July 17 death has been ruled ahomicide.
Bolcer says his death was caused by “the compression of his chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police.” She says asthma and heart disease were contributing factors.
Garner’s videotaped confrontation with police has caused widespread outcry, and Attorney General Eric Holder has said the Justice Department is “closely monitoring” the investigation into his death.
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Second degree at most, negligent manslaughter more likely. That cop can kiss his pension and future plans for retirement “goodbye”. I’m not excusing this, police need to be trained to take down even 300 pound men without threatening their lives. I bet he pleads to negligent manslaughter and gets probation, loses his job, of course.
It’s about time. If he loses his job that’s good, but he needs to do some time. Scum bag. He has a history of this kind of behavior.
Was it justifiable…?
I mean,… he was big and black… even tho he wasn’t wearing a hoodie amd packin’ Skittles and iced tea…
He could have been a threat…
GeeZ! what don’t you get???
Al Sharpton pointed out to the Mayor that his own son, who is black, is a good candidate for a “chokehold.” This is all part of the larger “profiling” problem and needs to be dealt with aggressively. This is the new Mayor’s first really big challenge. Some of us are old enough to remember the summer of Crown Heights. This needs to be dealt with before it turns into that kind of nightmare.
Might be worse. The ruling of homicide just means the death is the result of another persons actions. If those actions are justified there is no crime.
In this case the “choke hold” used is prohibited. That’s a big problem for the cop. There is also the fact the guy did not seem to be doing anything illegal when they cops came after him. So it could be “investigated” and found to be “within police policy” or it could go to prosecution. If it goes to court the cop is screwed. But Ill bet they wiggle him out of that.
But if the cop walks he has to live with the fact that he took a mans life over nothing. He will be unusable on the street and his career will be negatively affected. He does have to live with what he did…and his family will live with it too.