The city medical examiner has ruled the death of Eric Garner, the 43-year-old father whose death in police custody sparked national outrage, a homicide, saying a chokehold killed him.
The medical examiner said compression of the neck and chest, along with Garner’s positioning on the ground while being restrained by police during the July 17 stop on Staten Island, caused his death.
Garner’s acute and chronic bronchial asthma, obesity and hypertensive cardiovascular disease were contributing factors, the medical examiner determined.
An amateur video taken during Garner’s arrest shows a plainclothes police officer placing him in what appears be a chokehold, which is banned under NYPD policy. In the video, Garner can be heard multiple times gasping, “I can’t breathe!”
Officer Daniel Pantaleo has not been charged with a crime, and it will be up to Staten Island District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan Jr. to decide whether to convene a grand jury in the case.
“We have been in contact with the Medical Examiner’s Office, who has indicated to us the cause and manner of death of Eric Garner. We await the issuance of the official death certificate and the autopsy report. The investigation into Mr. Garner’s death continues,” his office said in a statement.
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Is this afternoon’s homicide ruling just a hollow victory for the memory of Eric Garner and his family? By calling Eric Garner’s death a homicide aren’t we really just placating the frayed nerves of a society ever distrustful of those who have been asked to serve and protect us?
Do we really now expect the DA to bring criminal charges against the NYPD and open a floodgate of other potential cases? Do we really expect profiling, selective treatment towards persons of interest to suddenly change and what is it about the way the NYPD which allows it to go about believing it’s above the very law that it is asked to serve?
http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2014/08/eric-garners-chokehold-death-ruled-homicide-will-charged-levied-cops/