Grand Jury Does Not Indict Officer in Eric Garner Chokehold Case

Carrie Dedrick | Updated: Dec 04, 2014

Grand Jury Does Not Indict Officer in Eric Garner Chokehold Case

Barely one week after a grand jury decided not to indict former officer Darren Wilson for charges related to the death of Michael Brown, a New York officer was let off for pinning Eric Garner, 43, in a chokehold, eventually leading to his death. 

Officer Daniel Pantaleo, 29, was not indicted by a Staten Island grand jury for Garner’s death. Videos showed Garner being arrested and put in a chokehold on July 17.;Garner can be heard repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe.”

Garner’s autopsy showed that Garner died from the chokehold and the compression of his chest by police officers the New York Times reports. Chokeholds were banned by the Police Department in 1993. 

Pantaleo said in court that he used the maneuver he learned at the Police Academy and did not believe Garner was in mortal danger when he was being held in the chokehold. The eight-year member of the police force also said that he felt “very bad about the death of Mr. Garner.” 

The jury’s decision prompted demonstrations across New York City, though most remained peaceful; police reported that few arrests were made during the protests.

President Obama addressed this case and the Michael Brown case in a statement saying, “When anybody in this country is not being treated equally under the law, that is a problem and it’s my job as president to help solve it.”

Publication date: December 4, 2014



Grand Jury Does Not Indict Officer in Eric Garner Chokehold Case