NYPD to Hold Hearing in Eric Garner Chokehold Death Case

What to Know

• The NYPD will begin a hearing Thursday in New York City in connection with the chokehold death of Eric Garner back in 2014[hhmc]

• Officer Daniel Pantaleo was seen putting Garner in an apparent chokehold, a move that the medical examiner said contributed to his death[hhmc]

• Garner was killed in a confrontation with NYPD officers in 2014; his dying words, "I can't breathe," became a slogan for Black Lives Matter[hhmc]

The NYPD on Thursday will hold a disciplinary hearing for the officer who put Eric Garner into a chokehold during an arrest more than four years ago.

Officer Daniel Pantaleo was caught on camera putting Garner into that chokehold, a move that the medical examiner said contributed to his death, back in July 2014. Garner was being questioned for selling loose cigarettes.

Thursday's hearing at One Police Plaza could determine whether Pantaleo will remain on the force. A grand jury decided not to indict him over Garner's death.

It was that summer day on Staten Island that Garner's arrest was caught on camera and went viral with Garner repeatedly saying "I can't breathe," his gasping last words heard across the country. His death sparked nationwide protests, mainly by the group Black Lives Matter.

Mom of Eric Garner Reacts to Charges

The Administrative Prosecution Unit of the Civilian Complaint Review Board, a police watchdog, will prosecute the case against Pantaleo. The hearing could last for weeks.

A lawyer for Pantaleo, who's been on paid desk duty at a precinct on Staten Island, previously said in a statement, "We are looking forward to our day in court to be vindicated."

Garners family received $5.9 million from the city in 2015 to settle a wrongful death claim.

Garner's mother, Gwen Carr, had met with the CCRB in the past, saying she's still not satisfied with the response of top city officials after four years of delay in the departmental trial of Pantaleo.

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USA Today

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