Nearly a week after fallout from a grand jury’s decision in the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., a panel in New York City is close to drawing its own conclusion about another case involving the death of an unarmed Black man at the hands of police, the Associated Press reports.
The grand jury that began evaluating evidence and listening to testimony in the death of Eric Garner (pictured) in September heard last week from what was believed to be its final witness—the New York Police Department officer accused of administering the fatal chokehold. On a widely watched amateur video, the officer was seen wrapping his arm around Garner’s neck on a busy commercial strip in Staten Island on July 17.
Authorities are expected to announce whether the officer will face criminal charges in a case whose viral video sparked outrage and grabbed headlines before it was overtaken by Brown’s death.
The incident occurred when Officer Daniel Pantaleo and other NYPD officers stopped Garner on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes, police say. The video shows the 43-year-old Garner, telling the officers to leave him alone and refusing to be handcuffed. Later, he is seen on the ground as he’s being placed in the fatal chokehold by one of the officers.
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Grand Jury Close To Decision In Eric Garner Chokehold Case was originally published on newsone.com
