It has happened — 5 years after Eric Garner’s dying words, “I can’t breathe,” highlighted police brutality across the country, the police officer who killed him has been fired.
It was on July 17, 2014, Garner was allegedly selling single “loose” cigarettes, which is illegal, and he was confronted by NYPD officers on a Staten Island, NY, street corner.
“Garner, 43, tried to pull away from surrounding officers before Pantaleo used a chokehold that has been banned by the NYPD since 1993, according to police. Video of the encounter taken by Garner’s friend shows Pantaleo holding Garner in a chokehold for several seconds, even after the two men fell to the ground,” The Daily Beast reported.
Year after year, Garner supporters pushed for Pantaleo to be fired. Recently, New York City Police Commissioner James O’Neill announced his decision to get rid of NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo after it was declared that he’d violated policy by restraining Garner with a prohibited chokehold.
“None of us can take back our decisions, especially when they lead to the death of another human being,” O’Neill said at a press conference. “It is clear that Daniel Pantaleo can no longer effectively serve as a New York City police officer.”
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O’Neill insisted that Garner should not have resisted arrest, but that officers should have waited for backup.
“The police union that represents Pantaleo said Monday, and a NYPD official with direct knowledge later confirmed to The Daily Beast, that it had been in discussions…to allow Pantaleo to resign and keep his full pension. The discussions broke down before O’Neill decided to terminate Pantaleo, leaving him with only his portion of his pension contribution,” The Daily Beast reported.
According to Pantaleo’s lawyer, he plans to appeal the termination and wants his job back.
“Pantaleo plans to fight his termination under Article 78, a New York civil code that sets a path for challenges to rulings by a government agency,” NBC News reported.
Pantaleo’s firing has been a long time coming. Following the death of Garner, Pantaleo had been placed on desk duty and in 2014, a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict Pantaleo. Additionally, the Justice Department in July said it would not charge Pantaleo with violating Garner’s civil rights.
Even though he has been fired, Pantaleo can receive all of his pension benefits.
Garner’s daughter, Emerald Snipes, 26, attended the press conference and wore a T-shirt featuring a photo of Pantaleo that read “Murderer.”
“Eric Garner was killed five years ago,” she said. ”It took five years for the officer to be fired. I don’t want another Eric Garner. I will do everything in my power to never see another Eric Garner.”
