WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal civil rights prosecutors have recommended charging a New York police officer in the 2014 death of Eric Garner. But it’s unclear if that will happen.
That’s according to a person familiar with the case who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Prosecutors recently recommended the charges to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, but it’s unclear if he will be willing to sign off on a case. The New York Times first reported the development.
Garner’s videotaped chokehold became a rallying cry for protests over police killings of black men. It shows Officer Daniel Pantaleo taking Garner down and him gasping, “I can’t breathe.”
The case has been in legal limbo for years. And federal civil rights cases against officers are rare and challenging during any administration.
