The New York police officer accused of fatally choking Eric Garner in 2014 has been fired and will not receive his NYPD pension, Commissioner James O'Neill said Monday.
"It is clear that Daniel Pantaleo can no longer effectively serve as a New York City Police officer," he said.
Officer Daniel Pantaleo was found guilty in a disciplinary trial earlier this month of using a chokehold on Garner, the New York man whose final words, "I can't breathe," became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The departmental administrative judge officially recommended Pantaleo be fired. O'Neill, an officer for 34 years, cited that recommendation repeatedly in his announcement on Monday, but he said the decision to terminate Pantaleo was still not easy.
The decision comes more than five years after police tried to arrest the 43-year-old father of six, who was allegedly selling loose cigarettes illegally on Staten Island. In video of the arrest, Pantaleo can be seen wrapping one arm around Garner's shoulder and the other around his neck before jerking him back and pulling him to the ground.
As Pantaleo forces Garner's head into the sidewalk, Garner could be heard saying "I can't breathe. I can't breathe." He died shortly afterward.
#CNN #News
The fact the Comissioner found this a tough decision highlights the depth of the issue. Furthermore, the fact many officers would be unhappy is even worse. We all have to take responsibility for our actions, he’s lucky to only be losing his job.
It is a tough decision when the Supreme Court finds him not guilty and he gets fired for someone unwilling to be cuffed for a 911 call that comes through. Yes, it is sad he had to die over Lucy’s but the fact is, his heart stopped because of his health.
@Nancy Prevost You must be grossly uneducated as well as devoid of common sense. This was a 450 lb. felon that was resisting arrest with violence. If it takes 6 officers to take you to the ground, that shows you are making the wrong choices. Here we are destroying a good cops career and life over an animal who broke the law, day in and day out and choose not to be part of our normal society. That man choose his fate, this officer did not choose any of this.
@Marina Guajardo Why is it the police officers fault? Did he make him break the law? Did he turn him into a felon? Did he make him fight 6 police officers? Did anyone outside himself dictate all the reckless and illegal actions he committed on a daily basis? No. If he or others would choose to follow the law and be a law abiding citizen as the majority of Americans do everyday, then he would be alive. He choose to be a criminal and he choose to act like an animal. Maybe his parents should of raised him better rather than use him like a lottery ticket.
That police officer should have gotten charged for murder for choking Garner.
That cop should be sentenced to the death penalty <<< JUSTICE
@Johnny Pena exactly
Michael Kelly you’re a bitchmade bootlicker.
@Michael Kelly lemme guess your a republican that hates us black ppl and you support Trump
@Michael Kelly the police officer could have handed the now deceased a ticket for selling cigarettes without permit, why all the violence from the police officer. It was an act of rage by the officer not a legal arrest
They “reluctantly” fired this guy…
It sends a message that they REALLY didn’t want to hold him accountable, but public pressure was too much to overcome.
Does it really matter how , he gets arrested 30 times he most of been a real sweat heart lol I’m sure cops says you are under arrest you have to what he says . Then later when you get lawyer then you protest if you think your arrest was a mistake Seems like some people don’t understand how civilized society works or they just want Anarchy .
Besides he was 6 ‘4 450 pounds and a had a criminal record.
So how do you arrest someone like if they don’t want to go peacefully with out using force ?
@logic rules Lawful arrest, for what?
Dirtwurk you got it.
Sheila Phillip That crap makes me want to barf every day. Once you gain enough power, you can’t be touched. As a police officer, the worst thing that can happen in these cases is getting fired. Not jail or being charged.
If I see a wounded cop bleeding out, I shall display similar reluctance in rendering first aid.
These thin blue line thugs spit on their oath and defend their killer corrupt brothers in blue.
IF COPS WOULD HAVE STUCK TO THE FACTS, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED FIVE YEARS AGO.
@Michael Kelly
So,your contention is that the police aren’t dirty ?
Far too evidence exists to dispel that notion.
You do know that police started out as “slave catchers” don’t you ?
Do you know the history of this country ?
You seem like someone who was raised on American lies.
@david Milton lol…your views are so grossly skewed it’s not even worth debating you. I don’t know what history your were taught, but I pity your education, if you even have one. Maybe someday you will call the police for help and maybe fate will deny their intervention.
@Michael Kelly
My views aren’t skewed.I call like it is.I know there are many police that abuse their position for many evils.No way should they receive blanket immunity from the public they’re supposed to “serve and protect”.
@Michael Kelly Ok lets just quiet down for a second and ask this question.. did the police really have to kill Eric Garner for cigarettes? And don’t say he didn’t kill him because theres video evidence with his arm around his neck choking him.. just watch the video tbh..
@Jolie Dubreze I watched the video. I see almost half a dozen officers doing their jobs trying to wrestle an almost 500 lb. man to the ground as he resists arrest. I see police officers making sure they all go home safely at night. I see a man who didn’t want to get arrested, so instead of complying with officers he decides to resist. If you see anything different, it’s obviously through rose colored glasses.
Wow, what a fantastic job! Murder someone and just get fired. Man, I wonder what would happen if I killed someone at work.
I am sickened, in tears, and trembling over this injustice. Eric Garner and his family deserve justice. I couldn’t even imagine being in his families shoes right now.
@Michael Kelly an officer literally said ” hes done” and the officer continued to choke him out. Officers deal with these situations daily without death. This is the very definition of manslaughter. Officers are trained to restrain limbs, not choke people out. Maybe you should meet some properly trained cops. “Please think before you speak”, lil fella.
@Michael Kelly Oh and its “literally common sense” to seizure out and die for resisting arrest? Remind every drunk hillbilly after a bar fight.
Gary Conner,BAMN!!!💯💯💯
Accused of choking? We ca clearly see the choking, it should have been accused of murder or wrongful death.
five years paid vacation for illegal choke hold that killed a man for selling loosies, blue privilege!
@david Milton so if a cop has to use force to take a serial killer into custody and the killer has a heart attack is that the cops fault? I guess cops should let serial escape because one in a million might have asthma. You crazy
@logic rules
Some logic.
Why not just pay the other victims also ?
@David Grover Try getting on the Ju Jitsu map sometime and learn the two chokes, blood and wind chokes. That was a blood choke. It is just as deadly as the other.
@Michael Kelly a thug huh, sounds good coming from a devil like yourself. It don’t matter how you spin this or how educated or more in your case, uneducated the man still didn’t deserve to be treated by the so called police officer who’s there to protect and serve, not harass someone for petty stuff. I hear so many of you have different experiences with law enforcement than we do, it’s a fact and its real. For example look at what you called him, a thug, well thugs also speak proper language and wear neckties and suits and work on wallstreet but he’s a thug, I believe you like others see him as that so you gonna treat him likewise. You are the same type that would see a baby deer on the road that need help and attempt mouth to mouth to save its life. You brought your bias in this and it’s law enforcement that does the same not all but at the beginning of the day they are human not gods because of a title and uniform. You disgust me and you are a bigot most likely a racist. Its people like you I hate to have served in the Marines for. Please don’t try and justify your racism, you don’t get to define racism no more you’ll be getting it wrong for years. Someone want to vote, you protest, have equal education you protest. You probably don’t know you are racist.
5 years to stack his money up…SMDH
Right, use the time to prepare for his next gig.
Now charge him with manslaughter at the very least. He took
unnecessarily took Mr. Garner’s life, and devastated his family.
Who cares about Garner he is a criminal.
@kfowler5 Probably many times as many people that care what you have to say?
He should be facing charges. It was also gross of the commissioner to use the word tragedy when referencing the officer losing his job.
Because an honest officer losing his job after protecting the community is a much greater loss than a criminal meeting his demise due to his own careless actions. Why do we always have more pity for the criminal than the man who protects our communities? It’s appalling and the critics of this officer should be embarrassed.
@Michael Kelly dude didn’t even die from being choked, he had a stroke cuz he was 400lbs. Basically he would have died from sneezing too hard.
@Michael Kelly if you have ever done anything for anyone, got paid for it, and didn’t pay taxes on it, you are just as much a criminal as he was, and you don’t deserve to be slammed and choked for it.
The officers involved showed a clear contempt for human suffering and shouldn’t be paid to patrol us. They could have sat him up or even just got off his back sooner to let him get more air. This bad cop will have another job as an officer in another city next week, because cops protect each other before they protect their cities.
@Jpaul Shive See, unlike Eric, I have a career, pay taxes, and have a family and children. I follow the rules and abide by the law because I love America, it’s Constitution, and everything it stands for. Eric choose to break the law, he choose to be a criminal, he choose to fight the police, and in all honesty, he choose to be morbidly obese which all attributed to his death. He had choices…he choose poorly.
Jpaul Shive The tragedy was a man died from a choke hold. They should have handled the situation differently! Mr Garners daughter died from a 💔 broken heart! Now the rest of the family is left to pick up the pieces!
Time to Fire the NYPD Police Commissioner ASAP and fire those police that are corrupt.
There are plenty of good people looking for quality jobs.
John smith, I Second That Emotion!!!💯💯💯👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿
👏👏👏🚨🚨🚨
I agree there are plenty of corrupt cops across this nation when the chief up police see our police officers are doing wrong they don’t say nothing! There’s a Code of Silence and they don’t turn in their own they Protect them just like the president the Republicans protect his corruption and his lies! In fact the Republicans lie for him but they are a few that won’t and they lose their job! And we got a president in the office that is a criminal committed felonies pays for prostitution lies to the American people believes the Russians over our FBI investigation over Russian interference attacking or voting system when you got a corrupt president that’s going to make matters worse in our country! now you can see white supremus on tv out there killing a bunch of innocent people and I believe Trump has something to do with that he Flames the Hate and he is a racist
if some cops weren’t a cop their second career choice would be Prison inmate .
Or walmart workers
Unintended consequences of his action? What is this? This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you?
@june OAP or Walmart boosters.
ThE DuCk EXACTLY!!!!
Not enough. He lost his career. Eric lost his life. Not even a comparison. They should be ashamed.
What loss of career? Dollars to doughnuts he’s employed as a cop again elsewhere within 8 months.
He called firing the cop a “tragedy”. What a joke.
diamond wright Well said!
This is such a sad story! His daughter died of a broken heart!
The whole family is traumatized!
should have been charged with murder, and the venue changed to get an unbiased jury..the question is is selling cigarettes worth committing murder,all the covering for you just means another murderer is on the streets. the police commioner judge of course will follow his union and back him..its pretty simple,did you kill someone ,if that answer is yes and there is no reason other than petty crime you are guilty of premeditated murder. So he get s new job and the other guy gets dead
and you wonder why people don’t trust cops,my old man was a cop for 40 years,and he said you have to be human first
@Lola Lola Yes, for him and his family it may be a tragedy for him to lose him job, i agree. But it’s even MORE of a tragedy for Eric Garners family and children after he was KILLED. Now tell me, is it more of a tragedy for someone to lose their job or to be KILLED?
Also how are you justifying MURDERING someone in a choke hold just because of cigarettes and “not following instructions..” he killed someone because he “didn’t follow instructions” it’s really disgusting how some of you are taking this “resisting” thing to justify murder.
@Lola Lola Oh and btw a cop using choke hold on a victim is illegal so…
Only fired? Should have been fired AND charged with murder.
Black cop choked white man to death fired and giving the death penalty
yes , fired, ok..but free? thats a slap in Garner s family face!
Well lady if I were you the next time you need help don’t call a cop.
Already killed a person. No jail, just fired. This animal can be ANOTHER potential shooter. Watch em!!!!!
wtf…lose your job = lose your life? …time for O’Neil to go as well !
Imagine choking someone to death and and all that happens is that you get fired.