NYPD officer who killed Eric Garner by putting him in prohibited chokehold should be fired: Judge
NEW YORK CITY: The judge presiding over the disciplinary trial of NYPD cop Daniel Pantaleo recommended the New York police officer should be fired. Pantaleo, in 2014, held Eric Garner in a chokehold which proved fatal.
The incident occurred in Staten Island, New York City, in 2014 when Pantaleo put Garner in a chokehold (prohibited by the police department) for 15 seconds while he was being arrested. The incident, branded police brutality, came to light after Garner's friend Ramsey Orta recorded it on his camera and released it online, sparking nationwide outrage.
The viral clip showed Garner crying out "I can't breathe" multiple times before he died. The judge's recommendation, however, does not mean the department would automatically dismiss Pantaleo.
Reports stated the attorneys for the Civilian Complaint Review Board and the attorney for Pantaleo will have an opportunity to meet with the judge to discuss the decision before it goes to the NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill. The commissioner will reportedly make the ultimate decision of the officer's future in the department.
The Department of Justice, in July, said Pantaleo would not face any charges in the killing. The state's Civilian Complaint Review Board agreed with the judge's assessment in a statement, saying: "The evidence the CCRB’s prosecutors brought forth at trial was more than sufficient to prove that Pantaleo is unfit to serve. Commissioner O’Neill must uphold this verdict and dismiss Pantaleo from the Department."
Garner's widow, Esaw Garner Snipes, while talking to CNN, said "it's not gonna be pretty" if Pantaleo is not fired: "I couldn’t map it out for you, but just stay tuned and the Garner family is not going away until we get what we want — and that’s justice, in one form or another." The officer is currently on desk duty in the New York Police Department.
While Garner's daughter, Emerald Garner Snipes, in response to the judge's recommendation, said: "This has been a long battle. Five years too long. And finally, someone has said this cop has done something wrong." She also called on O'Neill to "do your job" and fire Pantaleo: "We don’t want to wait no more. Make your decision, Mr. O’Neill, as soon as possible."