Lawyer: No Indictment For Officer In NYC Chokehold Death

By The Associated Press

Published December 3, 2014 at 2:12 PM CST

A woman, who did not want to give her name, places flowers at a memorial for Eric Garner near the site of his death in the borough of Staten Island Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014., in New York. (Seth Wenig/AP)

A lawyer says a grand jury in New York City has declined to indict a white police officer on criminal charges in the chokehold death of an unarmed black man in July.

Jonathon Moore, an attorney for the victim’s family, said Wednesday he was told there would be no indictment of Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of 43-year-old Eric Garner. Garner was stopped in Staten Island on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes.

Amateur video shot by an onlooker showed Garner refusing to be handcuffed. Pantaleo responded by putting Garner in an apparent chokehold, which is banned under NYPD policy. Garner was heard saying, “I can’t breathe!”

Moore says he is “astonished by the decision.”

Mychal Denzel Smith has been writing about the case for The Nation and joins Here & Now’s Lisa Mullins with details.

Guest

Mychal Denzel Smith, writer for The Nation. He tweets @mychalsmith.