Eric Garner, 43, died last Thursday following a run in with New York City police officers, local media reports.
Garner, a father of six, was in Staten Island allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes near a salon when police confronted him.
The 6-foot-3, 350-pound man refused to comply with the officers commands, insisting that he did not do anything wrong.
“Every time you see me, you want to mess with me. I’m tired of it. It stops today,” Garner yells, in a video recorded by a bystander. “I’m minding my business please just leave me alone.”
During the altercation, which became physical, one of the officers grabbed Garner around the neck and placed him in what appeared to be a chokehold — a move that is prohibited by the NYPD patrol guide because it can be deadly.
Garner died of a heart attack not long after NYPD engaged him, leaving questions as to whether the force was excessive.
“It was very troubling,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Friday. “I watched it the same way a family member would watch it, and it was very sad to watch.”
Police records show that Garner had been arrested 31 times since 1988, charges ranged from assault, drug possession to selling untaxed cigarettes.
I don’t believe the ensuing altercation was due to selling cigarettes but the resisting that followed. That said, if officers don’t have the ability to differentiate between a choke hold and lock against the artery a.k.a. a “sleeper”, two very different things, both absolutely with risk, then it should be banned by the police dept. THAT said, if the altercation gets to a life threatening situation (which it never should with police in an unarmed conflict)… And speaking as a 6’4″, 300lb ex-rugby player, combat vet and martial artist, there are always exceptions so, no, it shouldn’t be an automatic against the cop until it’s determined that the officer’s life was otherwise in eminent danger.
Got all that?? Good. 😀
Where I come from right is right and wrong is wrong regardless of your gender, race human or space creature doesn’t matter. As stated in the article company policy by NYPD prohibits any officer to use choke holds as a restraint period! Thus, the office actions was wrong. Folks, no apology here the officer screwed up. The man wasn’t a threat prior to the officers engagement. Choked him out for selling tax-free cigarettes? Let me guess, what’s next, getting nuked for jaywalking. Sadly this is the America we live in, totally unbalanced. For all the folks who believe the officer actions was justified ask yourself one question, if this would’ve happened to one of my family members would it had been right? Don’t get it twisted, I’m all for the law as long as the law act within its means and not above.
That’s one good example of why not to resist police bad things always happen don’t let it be the last mistake you remember on this side. I’m not justifying or condemning just saying.
Also a good reason for wing-nut non thinking LEO’s should think before acting stupid.
Esp now that everything is videoed for replay to reveal bad judgement and unnecessary actions- that they will be held accountable for later.
If he could have been shagged out of there being told next time he’d be arrested- so he’d know what to expect.
Then if he came back two officers sparking two tazers to show him what’s gonna happen if he resists makes things clearer.
The tax itself is criminal= creating a black market- what people should be assaulted and die for misdeanors ~?
mtman2 “If he could have been shagged out of there being told next time he’d be arrested- so he’d know what to expect.”
The article said he’d been arrested 31 times already; he knew what to expect. Bottom line ~ The police had the right to arrest Eric Garner and he did NOT have the right to resist arrest. Eric Garner didn’t die from a chokehold. You don’t die from a heart attack after having been in a chokehold earlier, you just die from the chokehold. That’s what chokeholds do. If you can hear the person scream, “I can’t breathe,” they’re lying, because, if you can scream, you can breathe. If that had been an actual chokehold, Garner’s eyes would have fluttered back in his head, his feet would have kicked a few seconds, and he would have gone limp. If the hold had been continued for another minute or so, he would have been dead.
What you saw was a highly ineffective attempt at a headlock, which is a very different animal.
Being very large and strong, he was able to keep the police from handcuffing him for quite some time, which is surprisingly easy to do; it requires relatively little effort. He was also someone used to being aggressive toward others because of his size, a la Michael Brown. You may have also noticed that most of the officers were quite physically unimposing.
Eric Garner didn’t die because the police abused him. He died because he was too fat and out of shape to be fighting with anybody (or any other form of strenuous exercise).
Well-said; the idiocracy that is the pro-crime, pro-deviancy crowd of so-called ‘journalism’ distorts what happens to make the forces for law-and-order (God bless them for continuing to protect us!!) look like they are fascists, when, in truth, it is the media themselves who are the demagogues.
The police know their clientele, and the media know their power-base: it is truly a clash of civilizations.
mtman2- Garner did NOT die for a misdemeanor. He died because HE made a conscious decision that he would not submit to a lawful arrest. The police officers are authorized by law to use force which is necessary to overcome his resistance, and , if you saw the pictures, Garner was a BIG guy- well over 300 lbs. Whatever YOU think of the tax on cigarettes is immaterial. The reality is that it IS legal, and it IS a crime to sell untaxed cigarettes, just as it is to sell untaxed whiskey. Garner himself chose the path that led to his death – nobody else. As you probably know, he had a lengthy arrest record so he wasn’t a pillar of the community. Bottom line: if he didn’t lead a life of crime, he would still be alive. By the way a choke hold didn’t kill him – he would’ve suffocated. He died from a heart attack brought on by him resisting arrest. Things being what they are these days, those cops would’ve been accused of something by that community, no matter what they did. Fast forward to Milwaukee- they’re into the 3rd day of rioting because a black cop shot a black kid who pointed a pistol with a 20 round extended magazine at them, The family says the cops should’ve taxed him. They can’t claim racism by the cops so they claim that their criminal kid, who pointed a real gun at them should’ve been taxed. Unfortunately the law in 50 states authorizes lethal force against someone who is threatening to use lethal force. It is what it is. If you don’t want the consequences, don’t be a criminal.