The police officer responsible for putting Eric Garner in the choke hold that ultimately took his life will NOT be indicted.
The shocking decision was made, on Wednesday, by the grand jury even after incriminating footage of the attempted arrest, after Garner was suspected of selling cigarettes illegally, was leaked to the press.
Perhaps even more shocked by the news was Garner’s widow, Esaw Garner. “Oh my God, are you serious?” she told The NY Daily News. “I’m very disappointed. You can see in the video that he (the cop) was dead wrong!”
The video Esaw Garner speaks of is one recorded by an onlooker while Garner was taken down, choked and restrained by several officers last July, including Officer Daniel Pantaleo.
“The grand jury kept interviewing witnesses but you didn’t need witnesses,” Garner added. “You can be a witness for yourself. Oh my God, this s— is crazy.”
Pantaleo has also released a statement following the grand jury’s decision to not indict him.
He says, “[it was] never my intention to harm anyone.”
“I feel very bad about the death of Mr. Garner,” he adds. “My family and I include him and his family in our prayers and I hope that they will accept my personal condolences for their loss.”
Read the full article over at the NY Daily News.
Here’s the footage of Garner being placed in a choke hold while being arrested for suspicion of illegally selling cigarettes.
What are your thought sweethearts, do you think the grand jury got it right?
