Cop cleared in chokehold in NY

[hitch0403]

Comments?

As i watch the video i dont think the police meant to hurt him but i think they used bad judgment in taking him down.This could have been prevented.Tactics didnt call for this rough of a takedown is what i got from video!

Back in 1974 an arsonist set fire to a bowling alley to cover up a robbery.24 people died in the disco next door.I dont think he meant to kill anyone but his actions were stupid and deserved to be punished.He served 10 yrs for manslaughter.I think in this case the victim should be awarded a cash settlement and the officers involved punished somewhat!!

[hawkeye3210]

The cop deserved to indicted in this case. Forget Ferguson, this is something people should actually be upset about. Unreal.

[acegirl]

     I live in New York and like many people I saw the video of Eric Garner being murdered.   It was heart breaking to hear
         him pleasing for his life as he stated, "I can't breath, I can't breath."  I don't understand why at that point the
         officer did not stop, but continued until Mr. Garner did not move because he was dead.  The video was like watching an
          animal being slaughtered.  And on top of this, the officer is not indicated.  I think a special prosecutor should be
          appointed to deal with these cases,  Again, like Micheal Brown's case, this is not over.  Both of these cases are
          going to force change within the criminal justice system.  The congressional leaders in New York are speaking out
           for change with the prosecutorial process.

[lvstephanie]

I agree with Hawkeye... Unlike the Ferguson case, this clearly showed someone being man-handled by police (over a fricken tax violation at that!) even though he wasn't trying to resist arrest, which led to his death. And the cops involved don't even get charged for manslaughter! Again, this is not a racial issue, but just a travesty of the judicial system. To be fair, I do not know what the grand jury in this case was instructed to decide on... If, for example, they were only considering whether this met the level of 1st degree murder, then I can understand their non-indictment decision, but if manslaughter (or even a lesser murder charge) was a possible offense to consider, then I have no idea why they didn't at least indict the officer and have it go to trial.

I hope the protests are peaceful... I  can certainly understand people protesting THIS decision, but if the protests turn to looting and riots, I think they'll only be hurting their cause. To Hitch's point, I guess there still is the option for suing the cops and perhaps the city / state for wrongful death (as what happened in the OJ case). But it still is sad that no criminal proceedings will go forth.

[BlackSheepNY]

Comments?

As i watch the video i dont think the police meant to hurt him but i think they used bad judgment in taking him down.This could have been prevented.Tactics didnt call for this rough of a takedown is what i got from video!

Back in 1974 an arsonist set fire to a bowling alley to cover up a robbery.24 people died in the disco next door.I dont think he meant to kill anyone but his actions were stupid and deserved to be punished.He served 10 yrs for manslaughter.I think in this case the victim should be awarded a cash settlement and the officers involved punished somewhat!!

In this case, I do agree with you.  There was no good reason to use such force on this man.  He wasn't threatening or fighting and it just went too far.

[BATISTAGIRL663]

all i can say is this is just unreal --cops should be punished like everyone else

[hitch0403]

I thought this topic would generate more interest because of the clear cut video where most can really judge if the police used excessive force.

Anyway again i thought a shame the police handled it the wrong way and a life was lost.If the victim was selling firecrackers they might have given him the chair.It was only loose cigs!!!

[JaniceSW]

What is so sad to me in this case is that the victim was involved in such minor criminal activity.  In most major U.S. cities, let alone New York, there is so much more the police need to give attention.  Just issue a citation in this case!  You have to wonder why the over reaction!?

[hitch0403]

Janice......i have a friend in NC that stopped at a stop sign and kinda didnt come to a full stop but he was hardly moving....and a cop wrote him up for going thru it!!!

To put it bluntly...i realize there are many hoodlums in this world but there are also some cops who are <expletive> too and just mean!!

[sarabtrayior]

I had not heard of this but when I read about it it just seemed like the same ole, same ole...

[hitch0403]

Of course leave it to some wacko to take the law into their own hands and go blow away 2 cops on duty because he said he wanted to even the score.

Just another sad state of affairs that goes on in this satanic world!!

To earthling man his way doesnt belong who is walking to direct even his own step.Correct me o God.

Man has dominated himself to his own injury.

The world lies in the power of the wicked one.

Bible is a book of fairy tales to some.....pretty funny eh???

[linderlizzie]

I heard something on the radio today that I truly agree with. If a cop is involved in some questionable situation, they should be given the benefit of the doubt to begin with being held to a higher standard as a law enforcement officer.

If he is defending his life, he should be found innocent.

If it turns out that he is culpable for wrongdoing, then he should have a harsher punishment being held to that same higher standard. I thought that was very wise counsel. 

 

[hitch0403]

A little leaven ferments the whole lump.

I am not going to put a number on it,but the smaller percentages of law enforcers that dont do their jobs correctly obviously ruin it for the others as the scripture suggests.

I would think ANYONE should have the right to defend their own life or lives of others if they were in jeopardy.Those 2 cops didnt deserve to be executed either for a bad decision on the chokehold cop either.

Its funny how this is a political issue too in this wacky world.Democrats calling for heads of cops and Republicans defending them.

As the Buffalo Springfield song goes that was popular during Kent State shootings in 1970...."Nobody is right if everyones wrong"Lyrics from the song "For what its worth"

[BlackSheepNY]

Comments?

As i watch the video i dont think the police meant to hurt him but i think they used bad judgment in taking him down.This could have been prevented.Tactics didnt call for this rough of a takedown is what i got from video!

Back in 1974 an arsonist set fire to a bowling alley to cover up a robbery.24 people died in the disco next door.I dont think he meant to kill anyone but his actions were stupid and deserved to be punished.He served 10 yrs for manslaughter.I think in this case the victim should be awarded a cash settlement and the officers involved punished somewhat!!

Agreed!  Their excuse was that they had problems with the victim before but, he was NOT being aggressive towards the police in any way.  He had no weapons.  I think it was a stupid decision by the police to do what they did.  The poor guy kept yelling "I can't breathe" and he DID have problems with asthma.  Like you, I wouldn't say they hurt him on purpose but they needed to let up some, which they didn't.  The U.S. has really become a "police state" but who's policing the Police?  Don't get me wrong, not all Officers of the law are rotten but there are plenty.  I think it's a good idea for all Officers to be wearing a body camera.  Then there's no two ways about it, we're all going to see exactly what happened.

[paints]

Comments?

As i watch the video i dont think the police meant to hurt him but i think they used bad judgment in taking him down.This could have been prevented.Tactics didnt call for this rough of a takedown is what i got from video!

Back in 1974 an arsonist set fire to a bowling alley to cover up a robbery.24 people died in the disco next door.I dont think he meant to kill anyone but his actions were stupid and deserved to be punished.He served 10 yrs for manslaughter.I think in this case the victim should be awarded a cash settlement and the officers involved punished somewhat!!

Agreed!  Their excuse was that they had problems with the victim before but, he was NOT being aggressive towards the police in any way.  He had no weapons.  I think it was a stupid decision by the police to do what they did.  The poor guy kept yelling "I can't breathe" and he DID have problems with asthma.  Like you, I wouldn't say they hurt him on purpose but they needed to let up some, which they didn't.  The U.S. has really become a "police state" but who's policing the Police?  Don't get me wrong, not all Officers of the law are rotten but there are plenty.  I think it's a good idea for all Officers to be wearing a body camera.  Then there's no two ways about it, we're all going to see exactly what happened.

His stepfather said Garner had recently filed a complaint about the officers harassing him. If that's true, what happened is more about police retaliation than about whether or not he was doing anything wrong.

And I don't know how much body cameras will help, really. This was filmed from beginning to end, and ruled a homicide by the medical examiner. And still, nothing happened to the police.