Cop who put Eric Garner in chokehold walks free

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Although Eric Garner’s death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner, a Staten Island Grand jury on Wednesday has cleared the Daniel Pantaleo, the cop charged with Garner’s death in July.

The panel voted a “no-bill” and dismissed all potential charges against Officer Daniel Pantaleo, sources said.

The decision comes just a week after a grand jury decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO.

The decision was capped by weeks of investigation by the special grand jury, which was put together in September specifically to review evidence in Garner’s racially charged death.

According to the NY Post, it is unclear exactly what charges prosecutors asked the grand jury to consider filing, or how the vote went.

Under New York law, an indictment must be agreed upon by at least 12 members of a grand jury, which can have up to 23 members.

In August, a medical examiner determined Eric Garner’s death was a homicide that was caused by “compression of his neck (chokehold), compression of his chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police.”

Choheholds are illegal and banned by NYPD. Garner’s death led to protests and anger over police brutality and police’s excessive use of force, particularly from by the NYPD.

On July 17th, Garner was stopped and approached by police for allegedly selling loose, untaxed cigarettes.

The incident, caught on a cellphone camera, shows two officers approaching Garner to arrest him.

In the video, you can see one officer slowly come behind Garner and then puts him into a chokehold.

Garner’s last words were “I can’t breathe”.