The Murder of Eric Garner! [MERGED]
- Thread starter MASTERBAKER
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His boy who recorded everything is catching hell in prison from the cos.
Rat poison in his food and all kinda fuck shit.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.th...e-ramsey-orta-police-brutality-killing-safety
Rat poison in his food and all kinda fuck shit.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.th...e-ramsey-orta-police-brutality-killing-safety
Gotta sue the shit outta him and take his pension on the civil suit side!
How the fuck is it so hard to get fired?!
I want this FUCKER and whatever family he has to burn in HELL so badly.
FIVE FUCKIN' YEARS!!!
And he's still collecting.
Meanwhile Garner is still DEAD!
Members of his family have passed due to the various stresses of this case.
Ramsey Orta is still in Prison over fake-ASS bullshit.
This shit is so disgusting on so many levels.
FIVE FUCKIN' YEARS!!!
And he's still collecting.
Meanwhile Garner is still DEAD!
Members of his family have passed due to the various stresses of this case.
Ramsey Orta is still in Prison over fake-ASS bullshit.
This shit is so disgusting on so many levels.
You're absolutely right on the first point. Which, tangentially, is why we need more black lawyers and law firms INDEPENDENT from white firms.
To your second point - firing him is a contractual issue. His actions are reviewed and discipline is decided in-house. The court action was not employment-related. Another reason cops literally get away with murder. When your review board is comprised of a bunch of other cops, the majority of them white, what do you think the verdict will be? NYPD has a strong union.
Cop union boss thug Pat Lynch said this about choke-killer-cop Pantaleo:
“He is the model of what we want a police officer to be,” P.B.A. president Pat Lynch said of Pantaleo. “What’s also been lost is the character of police officer Daniel Pantaleo. What’s not being told is what kind of man and what kind of person and what kind of professional he is. He is a resident of this great city. He lives on Staten Island. He lives in those neighborhoods. He’s college educated, here in this city. He’s a mature, mature police officer who’s motivated by serving the community.”
“He literally, literally, is an Eagle Scout,” said Lynch, adding that the maneuver Pantaleo used on Garner was a “textbook” takedown.
“He literally, literally, is an Eagle Scout,” said Lynch, adding that the maneuver Pantaleo used on Garner was a “textbook” takedown.
The fact that this killer cop is still employed by the NYPD and got a 20% raise, demonstrates the impotence of any so many progressive leaders in New York City.
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Here’s what happens next after Daniel Pantaleo’s suspension
By Jorge Fitz-Gibbon
August 2, 2019 | 10:03pm | Updated
Enlarge Image
Daniel PantaleoAP
An administrative judge’s recommendation Friday that NYPD cop Daniel Pantaleo be fired over the 2014 death of Eric Garner is far from the end of the controversial case.
Here are the next steps:
By Jorge Fitz-Gibbon
August 2, 2019 | 10:03pm | Updated
Enlarge Image
Daniel PantaleoAP
An administrative judge’s recommendation Friday that NYPD cop Daniel Pantaleo be fired over the 2014 death of Eric Garner is far from the end of the controversial case.
Here are the next steps:
- The Civilian Complaint Review Board, which prosecuted the case against Pantaleo at the departmental hearing, and Stuart London, the officer’s attorney, have two weeks to review the findings by NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Trials Rosemarie Maldonado.
- The CCRB and London have the opportunity to submit comments or motions either contesting or supporting the findings during that period.
- Police Commissioner James O’Neill will review the final report and decide if he’ll follow Maldonado’s recommendation or not.
- Police sources said Pantaleo could also choose to resign before the commissioner’s ruling.
Na that's bullshit. Don't believe everything you read. As Ive stated before I worked around Orta and spoke to him at length. COs don't give a fuck about him. He's just like any other inmate. He wasnt even PC or CMC status.
I was actually around when the situation happened. These inmates were from a highly problematic housing area. They planted the rat poison in the food themselves with the Hopes of getting a lawsuit. The rat poison found in their food was not the brand that the jails exterminators use and the following week a visitor got busted smuggling in rat poison. Of course the city paid out thousands of dollars to the inmates in the area despite the fact that none of them had actual injuries.
By the way the scene he depicts of when he found the poison in the food is pure fiction down to the batons the officers carried. The only truth is that his housing area was locked down that day because someone was cut earlier and there were small amounts of rat poison sprinkled on top of the food, like parsley or some shit.
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Wow...
Top NYPD Deputy Accepts Judge’s Decision That Daniel Pantaleo Be Fired, Passes Findings On To Commissioner O’Neill
O’Neill could decide whether or not to fire Pantaleo next week, sources told News 4 — possibly as early as Monday
By Jonathan Dienst
Published 19 minutes ago
Attorneys for the cop submitted their response to the NYPD judge who recommended Pantaleo's firing. The final recommendation will come soon, and then it is up to Commissioner James O'Neill whether to fire Pantaleo or not. NBC 4 New York's Andrew Siff reports.
WHAT TO KNOW
First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker has reviewed the findings and has passed them on to NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill for a final review, two sources say. Tucker found no new evidence to suggest going against the judge’s decision that Pantaleo be terminated from his position, according to sources.
Pantaleo’s attorney had filed a response to the judge’s ruling, arguing that Garner’s death was in part to blame on resisting arrest and his poor health. The administrative judge had previously ruled Pantaleo used an illegal chokehold on Garner, who had asthma, as he famously said “I can’t breathe.” He was pronounced dead at a hospital. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide caused in part by the chokehold.
An NYPD spokesperson would not comment about internal deliberations involving the police commissioner and his top deputy.
Judge Rules NYPD Cop in Eric Garner Death Be Fired
The judge recommended that Daniel Pantaleo be fired for the role he played in the death of Eric Garner five years ago, and the mayor, Garner's family and other New Yorkers were happy justice was served, they said. Police officials meanwhile were upset with the ruling. NBC 4 has team coverage with Andrew Siff, Melissa Russo and Erica Byfield report...
Read more
(Published Friday, Aug. 2, 2019)
O’Neill could decide whether or not to fire Pantaleo next week, sources told News 4 — possibly as early as Monday.
On Aug. 2, the judge found Pantaleo — who has been on modified administrative duty in the years since Garner's death on a Staten Island street corner — guilty of "reckless assault" when he used an impermissible chokehold on the 43-year-old father.
Both Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio have weighed in on how Pantaleo’s fate should be decided. Cuomo said on Aug. 3 that he believes Garner should be fired, as per the judge’s ruling. "When a judge says an officer should be fired because they did something wrong I believe the officer should be fired,” he said. “ Five years that family has been suffering. Give them the respect of doing justice."
Meanwhile de Blasio has stated multiple times that he will not and legally cannot tell O’Neill what to do. That did not stop protesters from interrupting a press conference the mayor was having shortly after the judge’s decision came down.
Garner's death sparked national protests about the treatment of black men and boys at the hands of white police officers.
O’Neill could decide whether or not to fire Pantaleo next week, sources told News 4 — possibly as early as Monday
By Jonathan Dienst
Published 19 minutes ago
Attorneys for the cop submitted their response to the NYPD judge who recommended Pantaleo's firing. The final recommendation will come soon, and then it is up to Commissioner James O'Neill whether to fire Pantaleo or not. NBC 4 New York's Andrew Siff reports.
WHAT TO KNOW
- The number two official at the NYPD has accepted a judge’s ruling that Daniel Pantaleo should be fired for his role in Eric Garner’s death
- Benjamin Tucker has reviewed the findings and has passed them on to NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill for a final review
- O’Neill could decide whether or not to fire Pantaleo next week, sources told News 4 — possibly as early as Monday
First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker has reviewed the findings and has passed them on to NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill for a final review, two sources say. Tucker found no new evidence to suggest going against the judge’s decision that Pantaleo be terminated from his position, according to sources.
Pantaleo’s attorney had filed a response to the judge’s ruling, arguing that Garner’s death was in part to blame on resisting arrest and his poor health. The administrative judge had previously ruled Pantaleo used an illegal chokehold on Garner, who had asthma, as he famously said “I can’t breathe.” He was pronounced dead at a hospital. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide caused in part by the chokehold.
An NYPD spokesperson would not comment about internal deliberations involving the police commissioner and his top deputy.
Judge Rules NYPD Cop in Eric Garner Death Be Fired
The judge recommended that Daniel Pantaleo be fired for the role he played in the death of Eric Garner five years ago, and the mayor, Garner's family and other New Yorkers were happy justice was served, they said. Police officials meanwhile were upset with the ruling. NBC 4 has team coverage with Andrew Siff, Melissa Russo and Erica Byfield report...
Read more
(Published Friday, Aug. 2, 2019)
O’Neill could decide whether or not to fire Pantaleo next week, sources told News 4 — possibly as early as Monday.
On Aug. 2, the judge found Pantaleo — who has been on modified administrative duty in the years since Garner's death on a Staten Island street corner — guilty of "reckless assault" when he used an impermissible chokehold on the 43-year-old father.
Both Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio have weighed in on how Pantaleo’s fate should be decided. Cuomo said on Aug. 3 that he believes Garner should be fired, as per the judge’s ruling. "When a judge says an officer should be fired because they did something wrong I believe the officer should be fired,” he said. “ Five years that family has been suffering. Give them the respect of doing justice."
Meanwhile de Blasio has stated multiple times that he will not and legally cannot tell O’Neill what to do. That did not stop protesters from interrupting a press conference the mayor was having shortly after the judge’s decision came down.
Garner's death sparked national protests about the treatment of black men and boys at the hands of white police officers.
“Pantaleo, you may have lost your job, but I lost a son. You can get another job, maybe at Burger King.” Eric Garner’s mother, Gwen Carr, spoke out during a rally outside police headquarters after the NYPD announced Officer Daniel Pantaleo would be fired. https://7ny.tv/2ZhIolH
No departmental trial for NYPD sergeant who oversaw Eric Garner arrest
https://abc7ny.com/no-departmental-trial-for-sergeant-who-oversaw-garner-arrest/5483533/
https://abc7ny.com/no-departmental-trial-for-sergeant-who-oversaw-garner-arrest/5483533/
NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill fires back at union boss over Pantaleo firing
The NYPD’s top cop spoke publicly Thursday for the first time since announcing his decision to terminate embattled Officer Daniel Pantaleo — firing back at a police union boss who called the department “rudderless and frozen.”
“I have all the confidence in the world in the men and women of the NYPD, that they’ll continue to do their job,” Police Commissioner James O’Neill said on “CBS This Morning.”
“The reason why they took this job is to make a difference, to keep people safe,” he continued. “They didn’t do it for the sense of appreciation — they certainly didn’t do it for the amount of money they are getting paid.”
O’Neill announced Monday that he would follow NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Trials Rosemarie Maldonado’s decision to fire Pantaleo for his involvement in the chokehold death of Eric Garner on July 17, 2014.
He acknowledged at the time that if he were still an officer, “I’d probably be mad at me.”
Later that day, Police Benevolent Association president Patrick “Paddy” Lynch furiously shot back, calling for a union “no confidence” vote in O’Neill and Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“The leadership has abandoned ship and left our police officers on the street alone, without backing,” Lynch exclaimed at a press conference in Lower Manhattan, as he stood in front of a police flag hung upside-down as a “distress” signal.
CBS This Morning
✔@CBSThisMorning
.@NYPDNews Commissioner James O'Neill says firing the officer responsible for Eric Garner's chokehold death was a "difficult decision" but was based on the trial, evidence and testimony.
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7:38 AM - Aug 22, 2019
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On Thursday, O’Neill admitted Lynch’s “no confidence” vote directive was “difficult to hear,” but reaffirmed his decision and explained that his job is “to protect everybody in this city.”
“This is what Paddy does,” he said, later adding: “Paddy Lynch is doing what he thinks he needs to do for the membership, but he also has to be careful that he doesn’t destroy their confidence.”
“Look at where we are in this city right now,” he continued. “Look at 25 years ago and look at where we are now. We got that way because of the sacrifices of the men and women of this police department.”
NYPD Sgt. Kizzy Adonis, one of two supervisors assigned to the Staten Island crime scene the day Garner died, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a departmental charge of failure to supervise after reaching an agreement with NYPD officials. She will lose 20 vacation days as punishment.
The Sergeants Benevolent Association is slated to discuss the matter at a Thursday morning press conference.
The NYPD’s top cop spoke publicly Thursday for the first time since announcing his decision to terminate embattled Officer Daniel Pantaleo — firing back at a police union boss who called the department “rudderless and frozen.”
“I have all the confidence in the world in the men and women of the NYPD, that they’ll continue to do their job,” Police Commissioner James O’Neill said on “CBS This Morning.”
“The reason why they took this job is to make a difference, to keep people safe,” he continued. “They didn’t do it for the sense of appreciation — they certainly didn’t do it for the amount of money they are getting paid.”
O’Neill announced Monday that he would follow NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Trials Rosemarie Maldonado’s decision to fire Pantaleo for his involvement in the chokehold death of Eric Garner on July 17, 2014.
He acknowledged at the time that if he were still an officer, “I’d probably be mad at me.”
Later that day, Police Benevolent Association president Patrick “Paddy” Lynch furiously shot back, calling for a union “no confidence” vote in O’Neill and Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“The leadership has abandoned ship and left our police officers on the street alone, without backing,” Lynch exclaimed at a press conference in Lower Manhattan, as he stood in front of a police flag hung upside-down as a “distress” signal.
CBS This Morning
✔@CBSThisMorning
.@NYPDNews Commissioner James O'Neill says firing the officer responsible for Eric Garner's chokehold death was a "difficult decision" but was based on the trial, evidence and testimony.
53
7:38 AM - Aug 22, 2019
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49 people are talking about this
On Thursday, O’Neill admitted Lynch’s “no confidence” vote directive was “difficult to hear,” but reaffirmed his decision and explained that his job is “to protect everybody in this city.”
“This is what Paddy does,” he said, later adding: “Paddy Lynch is doing what he thinks he needs to do for the membership, but he also has to be careful that he doesn’t destroy their confidence.”
“Look at where we are in this city right now,” he continued. “Look at 25 years ago and look at where we are now. We got that way because of the sacrifices of the men and women of this police department.”
NYPD Sgt. Kizzy Adonis, one of two supervisors assigned to the Staten Island crime scene the day Garner died, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a departmental charge of failure to supervise after reaching an agreement with NYPD officials. She will lose 20 vacation days as punishment.
The Sergeants Benevolent Association is slated to discuss the matter at a Thursday morning press conference.
Eric Garner's mother is speaking out now. The police sergeant accused of failing to properly supervise officers involved in Garner's death has agreed to give up about four weeks of vacation time to settle her internal disciplinary case.
Anti-Police Brutality Bill Named After Eric Garner Would Set National Standard for Excessive Force
By Melissa Russo and Kiki Intarasuwan
Published Sep 20, 2019 at 2:38 AM | Updated at 2:42 AM EDT on Sep 20, 2019
blob:https://www.nbcnewyork.com/a72a6804-e418-49f6-855e-11445ea427cf
Eric Garner's mother is taking her fight for justice in her son's death to Capitol Hill. Melissa Russo reports.
WHAT TO KNOW
The Excessive use of Force Prevention Act will be dubbed the "Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold" Bill, after Carr's son whose last words "I can't breathe" became a national rallying cry for activists fighting against police misconduct and brutality.
Rev. Dr. Al Sharpton, the Garner family, New York State Senator Brian Benjamin and New York State Assemblyman Walter Mosely are expected to introduce the bill on Saturday in Manhattan.
Sharpton said the new bill would set a national standard and "define clearly where the line in terms of excessive force."
NYPD Sees Fewer Arrests Since Daniel Pantaleo Firing
In what could be seen as a slow-down by officers in the aftermath of the firing of the cop in the Eric Garner death, felony arrests by the NYPD are down 11 percent, while misdemeanor arrests and moving violations are down even further. NBC 4 New York’s Andrew Siff reports.
(Published Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019)
During the hearing on Thursday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said he agreed that the criminal justice system failed the Garner family. He laid out how a Staten Island grand jury brought no charges against Daniel Pantaleo, the officer who was fired in August for this role in Garner's death; how the Department of Justice also failed to bring charges; and how it took the NYPD over five years to take action against Pantaleo.
"No one was held and charged for my son's death. No recourse. No accountability. The entire family is traumatized each and every time we enter the courtroom," Carr said as she asked congress to vote on the legislation.
In response to Nadler, a spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio, said that "For the first time in five years, we finally have accountability. We hope that brings the Garner family some justice."
The New York City mayor and Democratic presidential candidate has been under fire from both the family and the police union who in August voted "no confidence" in de Blasio and Police Commissioner James O'Neill for Pantaleo's firing.
"For years, Mayor de Blasio has demonized police officers and undermined our efforts to protect our city. For years, Commissioner O’Neill has cravenly acquiesced to the Mayor and his anti-cop allies,” PBA President Pat Lynch said in a statement.
But Sharpton argued that the new bill is not anti-police but anti-police brutality.
De Blasio Heckled About Pantaleo Firing at CNN Town Hall
Mayor Bill de Blasio was heckled on Sunday at a town hall meeting for his presidential bid over his administration's response to the Eric Garner case.
(Published Sunday, Aug. 25, 2019)
"But even when we stand up when police are killed, we have yet to see police unions stand up one time when one of their officers kill someone in the community unjustifiably," he said.
"And no one should want bad cops punished more than good cops whose names are speared because people get to choke people on tape, hearing eleven times I can't breathe."
By Melissa Russo and Kiki Intarasuwan
Published Sep 20, 2019 at 2:38 AM | Updated at 2:42 AM EDT on Sep 20, 2019
blob:https://www.nbcnewyork.com/a72a6804-e418-49f6-855e-11445ea427cf
Eric Garner's mother is taking her fight for justice in her son's death to Capitol Hill. Melissa Russo reports.
WHAT TO KNOW
- An anti-choke hold bill that would set a national standard for excessive police force will be named after Eric Garner
- Rev. Dr. Al Sharpton, the Garner family, Sen. Brian Benjamin and Assemblyman Walter Mosely are expected to introduce the bill on Saturday
- Garner's mother, Gwen Carr, testified at a hearing on police misconduct on Thursday and pleaded with congress members to vote on the bill
The Excessive use of Force Prevention Act will be dubbed the "Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold" Bill, after Carr's son whose last words "I can't breathe" became a national rallying cry for activists fighting against police misconduct and brutality.
Rev. Dr. Al Sharpton, the Garner family, New York State Senator Brian Benjamin and New York State Assemblyman Walter Mosely are expected to introduce the bill on Saturday in Manhattan.
Sharpton said the new bill would set a national standard and "define clearly where the line in terms of excessive force."
NYPD Sees Fewer Arrests Since Daniel Pantaleo Firing
In what could be seen as a slow-down by officers in the aftermath of the firing of the cop in the Eric Garner death, felony arrests by the NYPD are down 11 percent, while misdemeanor arrests and moving violations are down even further. NBC 4 New York’s Andrew Siff reports.
(Published Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019)
During the hearing on Thursday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said he agreed that the criminal justice system failed the Garner family. He laid out how a Staten Island grand jury brought no charges against Daniel Pantaleo, the officer who was fired in August for this role in Garner's death; how the Department of Justice also failed to bring charges; and how it took the NYPD over five years to take action against Pantaleo.
"No one was held and charged for my son's death. No recourse. No accountability. The entire family is traumatized each and every time we enter the courtroom," Carr said as she asked congress to vote on the legislation.
In response to Nadler, a spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio, said that "For the first time in five years, we finally have accountability. We hope that brings the Garner family some justice."
The New York City mayor and Democratic presidential candidate has been under fire from both the family and the police union who in August voted "no confidence" in de Blasio and Police Commissioner James O'Neill for Pantaleo's firing.
"For years, Mayor de Blasio has demonized police officers and undermined our efforts to protect our city. For years, Commissioner O’Neill has cravenly acquiesced to the Mayor and his anti-cop allies,” PBA President Pat Lynch said in a statement.
But Sharpton argued that the new bill is not anti-police but anti-police brutality.
De Blasio Heckled About Pantaleo Firing at CNN Town Hall
Mayor Bill de Blasio was heckled on Sunday at a town hall meeting for his presidential bid over his administration's response to the Eric Garner case.
(Published Sunday, Aug. 25, 2019)
"But even when we stand up when police are killed, we have yet to see police unions stand up one time when one of their officers kill someone in the community unjustifiably," he said.
"And no one should want bad cops punished more than good cops whose names are speared because people get to choke people on tape, hearing eleven times I can't breathe."
Ramsey Orta, Who Filmed The Police Killing Of Eric Garner, Released From Prison
BY JEN CHUNG
JUNE 9, 2020 3:53 P.M.
Ramsey Orta M STAN REEVES / SHUTTERSTOCK
The man who filmed police officer Daniel Pantaleo fatally choking Eric Garner on Staten Island in 2014 has been released from prison.
Ramsey Orta had been serving a four-year sentence on gun charges, stemming from an arrest just a month after Orta filmed Garner's death in July 2014.
His video, which showed Garner—who was targeted by police for allegedly selling loose cigarettes—repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe," struggling in the chokehold before dying. Those words have become a haunting slogan in the Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality and anti-black racism.
Police claimed that Orta was caught hiding a gun with a 17-year-old girl, charges that Orta denied.
Orta said he was set up by police as revenge for filming Garner and the aggressive NYPD officers. He told the Verge in 2019, “Look, the point is, I’m smart about certain things. I’ve been on the streets doing my dirt for a long time. So you have to understand how ridiculous this gun charge is. There’s no chance I’m dumb enough to give a girl a gun out in the open like that. The cops had been following me every day since Eric died, shining lights in my house every night. You think I’m walking around with a stolen gun that now they say wasn’t even loaded?"
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Orta was sentenced in 2016, but his fiancee "confirmed the news [of his release] to Rolling Stone via email; a Department of Corrections and Community Supervision spokesperson also confirmed his release. His prison sentence is officially over on July 11th; after that, Orta will remain under court supervision until January 2022," according to Rolling Stone.
Pantaleo remained a police officer on salary until 2019, when a secretive department trial took place and a judge found his claims of defense "self-serving" and "untruthful." The NYPD fired him in August 2019, five years after Garner's death.
BY JEN CHUNG
JUNE 9, 2020 3:53 P.M.
Ramsey Orta M STAN REEVES / SHUTTERSTOCK
The man who filmed police officer Daniel Pantaleo fatally choking Eric Garner on Staten Island in 2014 has been released from prison.
Ramsey Orta had been serving a four-year sentence on gun charges, stemming from an arrest just a month after Orta filmed Garner's death in July 2014.
His video, which showed Garner—who was targeted by police for allegedly selling loose cigarettes—repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe," struggling in the chokehold before dying. Those words have become a haunting slogan in the Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality and anti-black racism.
Police claimed that Orta was caught hiding a gun with a 17-year-old girl, charges that Orta denied.
Orta said he was set up by police as revenge for filming Garner and the aggressive NYPD officers. He told the Verge in 2019, “Look, the point is, I’m smart about certain things. I’ve been on the streets doing my dirt for a long time. So you have to understand how ridiculous this gun charge is. There’s no chance I’m dumb enough to give a girl a gun out in the open like that. The cops had been following me every day since Eric died, shining lights in my house every night. You think I’m walking around with a stolen gun that now they say wasn’t even loaded?"
ADVERTISEMENT
Orta was sentenced in 2016, but his fiancee "confirmed the news [of his release] to Rolling Stone via email; a Department of Corrections and Community Supervision spokesperson also confirmed his release. His prison sentence is officially over on July 11th; after that, Orta will remain under court supervision until January 2022," according to Rolling Stone.
Pantaleo remained a police officer on salary until 2019, when a secretive department trial took place and a judge found his claims of defense "self-serving" and "untruthful." The NYPD fired him in August 2019, five years after Garner's death.
Eric Garner was killed by a police officer seven years ago today. Far too many families have lost loved ones to police violence in the years since. But we won't give up the fight for justice and accountability. We must pass the Eric Garner Excessive Force Prevention Act.
Eric Garner’s Mother Wanted Answers for His Death. She Isn’t Satisfied.
An inquiry into the killing of Mr. Garner in 2014 ended on Friday after the testimony of a dozen witnesses. Here are five takeaways.
For years, Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, pushed for a judicial inquiry to answer lingering questions about her son’s killing on Staten Island.Credit...Noah K. Murray/Associated Press
By Troy Closson
Nov. 6, 2021, 3:00 a.m. ET
The death of Eric Garner has reverberated with unanswered questions and fresh developments over the seven years since a New York police officer placed him in a banned chokehold.
But on Friday, the case reached what is expected to be its final major milestone as the judicial inquiry into the 2014 killing of Mr. Garner concluded after two weeks.
The process — ordered under a rarely used provision of the City Charter — was not intended to discipline the officers involved in Mr. Garner’s death. Rather, it was intended to fill in lingering gaps in the public record regarding the killing of Mr. Garner, a 43-year-old from Staten Island, and the multiple investigations that followed.
Even with the hearing now over, Mr. Garner’s case is unlikely to fade from public view. His killing became emblematic of the tensions between Mayor Bill de Blasio and some members of the public over police issues. And his final pleas of “I can’t breathe” are still chanted by protesters of police violence nationwide.
Here are five takeaways from the inquiry:
Mr. Garner’s family was frustrated by the hearing.
Over eight days of testimony from a dozen witnesses from the Police Department, the hearing addressed several longstanding questions in the case. But advocates and relatives of Mr. Garner said it failed to provide true transparency.
Lawyers for the family argued that the testimony of certain witnesses — including Police Commissioner Dermot F. Shea and two of his predecessors, members of the department office that imposes discipline, and Mr. de Blasio — was essential to obtain a complete portrait of what happened.
But Judge Erika M. Edwards, a Manhattan Supreme Court justice, repeatedly denied those requests, saying that others had more direct knowledge. (Lawyers could still file motions for additional witnesses if new information arises.)
Gwen Carr, Mr. Garner’s mother, expressed particular frustration with the inquiry, saying she did not find much of the testimony to be credible. She maintains that the officers involved in her son’s death and what she calls a cover-up of its details should be fired.
“We didn’t have what we thought we would get out of this. We need more,” Ms. Carr said on Friday. “I had to sit through and listen to the bunch of lies that continues to go on.”
Officials rejected her assertions that the inquiry was a failure. Sgt. Jessica McRorie, a spokeswoman for the Police Department, said in a statement that the case had been “thoroughly investigated on multiple levels.”
Nicholas Paolucci, a spokesman for the New York City Law Department, added that “so much information” about Mr. Garner’s death has become public and that officials hope the hearing offered a measure of closure for relatives.
Two police sergeants were at the scene; one faced penalties. The judge had questions.
Daniel Pantaleo, the officer who used a prohibited chokehold on Mr. Garner, was fired from the police force in 2019. Only one other person faced penalties in the incident: Sgt. Kizzy Adonis lost 20 vacation days after the department charged her with failing to properly supervise officers involved in the arrest.
Some family members and activists have questioned the decision to discipline only Sgt. Adonis. She testified that she was only at the scene “temporarily” and had been traveling to a meeting when she received a radio call directing her there.
Image
Eric Garner’s death touched off pressure for greater accountability in the deaths of Black people at the hands of the police.Credit...Byron Smith for The New York Times
Dhanan Saminath, another police sergeant, was in charge of the scene — though he arrived later — and was “responsible for whatever took place,” Sgt. Adonis said, adding that she had not seen officers use unnecessary force.
Deputy Inspector Charles Barton, the supervisor who oversaw the Police Department’s internal review of the case, said that Sgt. Adonis faced penalties because “she did absolutely nothing” and took “no proactive steps” to help.
“She acted as an observer,” Inspector Barton said. “She did not take control of the situation.”
But Judge Edwards appeared skeptical about the disciplinary decisions.
“I’m trying to figure out, and I think I’m not the only one: How is it that Sgt. Adonis is the only one who got reprimanded out of everybody there — and it wasn’t even her assignment at the moment?” Judge Edwards asked during her testimony.
When a lawyer asked Sgt. Adonis for her reaction to the penalties she faced, she said, “To be honest, I don’t know why I was charged at all. I’m still questioning it.”
Judge Edwards responded, “Me too.”
Information emerged about the investigations into other officers.
The Civilian Complaint Review Board, an independent oversight agency that investigates police misconduct, had recommended charges against several officers at the scene, including Sgt. Saminath, citing a failure to supervise.
He was responsible for reporting the misuse of force by officers, lawyers noted. But in his initial interview with investigators, the sergeant did not mention the prohibited chokehold used by Mr. Pantaleo. And when calling for an ambulance, he said that Mr. Garner was “just having some trouble breathing.” An operator categorized the call as a low priority.
Sgt. Saminath said that he did not “mean anything by ‘just’” and that at the time, he did not believe excessive force was used. Internal Affairs investigators rejected the review board’s recommendation, concluding that Sgt. Saminath had acted appropriately.
Image
Daniel Pantaleo was fired from the police force in 2019, after a police administrative judge found him guilty of violating a department ban on chokeholds.Credit...Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Associated Press
The review board had also suggested charges against Mr. Pantaleo’s partner, Justin D’Amico, for failing to intervene after the chokehold was used.
Officer D’Amico testified that, at the time, he did not hear Mr. Garner say “I can’t breathe” and that he did not believe the restraint used was a chokehold. Investigators rejected the review board’s recommendation, and did not address the board’s notes that Officer D’Amico pushed Mr. Garner’s head into the ground at one point during the arrest.
Investigators said they also found that officers provided adequate medical care to Mr. Garner before emergency medical workers arrived. Officer William Meems, who had training as an E.M.T., testified that he did not check Mr. Garner’s airway or heart rate. But he said he turned Mr. Garner on his side to help him breathe after he was handcuffed and found a pulse.
Lt. Luke Gasquez, a former lead investigator in the unit of Internal Affairs that probes use-of-force complaints, said it was clear that Officer Meems “immediately” started providing aid once the arrest was in control and that, overall, he saw no issues with the care offered.
Mr. Pantaleo’s partner fell under further scrutiny for the initial arrest.
Officer D’Amico faced additional scrutiny from lawyers. He is the only person to say that he saw Mr. Garner make two cigarette sales before moving to make an arrest.
He said he thought he was about 350 feet from Mr. Garner when he saw a “handoff of a cigarette for what appeared to be money.” He said he saw another exchange as the officers drove closer.
But several eyewitnesses at the scene said they did not see Mr. Garner make a cigarette sale, according to investigators. “In circumstances like this where it’s the word of a single officer, against eight New York City residents, does the officer just win?” Gabriel Jaime-Bettan, a lawyer for the petitioners, asked Lt. Gasquez.
Judge Edwards said the question was inappropriate for the nature of the inquiry. And Lt. Gasquez said that his group still viewed Officer D’Amico’s statements as credible and had found that it was possible for him to see a cigarette sale from his location at the time.
The alleged leak of Mr. Garner’s sealed arrest records remains unresolved.
After Mr. Garner’s death, news outlets including The New York Times reported details from the police about his full arrest record. Several reports noted that he had been arrested more than 30 times.
One document from Internal Affairs said that Mr. Garner had been arrested 33 times since 1988; 10 of those arrests had been sealed, another document showed.
Lawyers said those documents demonstrated that the police had violated state law by releasing information about criminal cases that had been dismissed and sealed.
The leaks represented a major focus of the inquiry. But the matter went largely unresolved, as witnesses including Stephen Davis, the department’s top spokesman at the time of Mr. Garner’s death, said they did not know who had provided the information on the sealed arrests.
Investigators in Internal Affairs said that they did not probe the matter and did not know of accusations related to leaks at the time. “I was not aware of any of this,” Lt. Gasquez said.
An inquiry into the killing of Mr. Garner in 2014 ended on Friday after the testimony of a dozen witnesses. Here are five takeaways.
For years, Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, pushed for a judicial inquiry to answer lingering questions about her son’s killing on Staten Island.Credit...Noah K. Murray/Associated Press
By Troy Closson
Nov. 6, 2021, 3:00 a.m. ET
The death of Eric Garner has reverberated with unanswered questions and fresh developments over the seven years since a New York police officer placed him in a banned chokehold.
But on Friday, the case reached what is expected to be its final major milestone as the judicial inquiry into the 2014 killing of Mr. Garner concluded after two weeks.
The process — ordered under a rarely used provision of the City Charter — was not intended to discipline the officers involved in Mr. Garner’s death. Rather, it was intended to fill in lingering gaps in the public record regarding the killing of Mr. Garner, a 43-year-old from Staten Island, and the multiple investigations that followed.
Even with the hearing now over, Mr. Garner’s case is unlikely to fade from public view. His killing became emblematic of the tensions between Mayor Bill de Blasio and some members of the public over police issues. And his final pleas of “I can’t breathe” are still chanted by protesters of police violence nationwide.
Here are five takeaways from the inquiry:
Mr. Garner’s family was frustrated by the hearing.
Over eight days of testimony from a dozen witnesses from the Police Department, the hearing addressed several longstanding questions in the case. But advocates and relatives of Mr. Garner said it failed to provide true transparency.
Lawyers for the family argued that the testimony of certain witnesses — including Police Commissioner Dermot F. Shea and two of his predecessors, members of the department office that imposes discipline, and Mr. de Blasio — was essential to obtain a complete portrait of what happened.
But Judge Erika M. Edwards, a Manhattan Supreme Court justice, repeatedly denied those requests, saying that others had more direct knowledge. (Lawyers could still file motions for additional witnesses if new information arises.)
Gwen Carr, Mr. Garner’s mother, expressed particular frustration with the inquiry, saying she did not find much of the testimony to be credible. She maintains that the officers involved in her son’s death and what she calls a cover-up of its details should be fired.
“We didn’t have what we thought we would get out of this. We need more,” Ms. Carr said on Friday. “I had to sit through and listen to the bunch of lies that continues to go on.”
Officials rejected her assertions that the inquiry was a failure. Sgt. Jessica McRorie, a spokeswoman for the Police Department, said in a statement that the case had been “thoroughly investigated on multiple levels.”
Nicholas Paolucci, a spokesman for the New York City Law Department, added that “so much information” about Mr. Garner’s death has become public and that officials hope the hearing offered a measure of closure for relatives.
Two police sergeants were at the scene; one faced penalties. The judge had questions.
Daniel Pantaleo, the officer who used a prohibited chokehold on Mr. Garner, was fired from the police force in 2019. Only one other person faced penalties in the incident: Sgt. Kizzy Adonis lost 20 vacation days after the department charged her with failing to properly supervise officers involved in the arrest.
Some family members and activists have questioned the decision to discipline only Sgt. Adonis. She testified that she was only at the scene “temporarily” and had been traveling to a meeting when she received a radio call directing her there.
Image
Eric Garner’s death touched off pressure for greater accountability in the deaths of Black people at the hands of the police.Credit...Byron Smith for The New York Times
Dhanan Saminath, another police sergeant, was in charge of the scene — though he arrived later — and was “responsible for whatever took place,” Sgt. Adonis said, adding that she had not seen officers use unnecessary force.
Deputy Inspector Charles Barton, the supervisor who oversaw the Police Department’s internal review of the case, said that Sgt. Adonis faced penalties because “she did absolutely nothing” and took “no proactive steps” to help.
“She acted as an observer,” Inspector Barton said. “She did not take control of the situation.”
But Judge Edwards appeared skeptical about the disciplinary decisions.
“I’m trying to figure out, and I think I’m not the only one: How is it that Sgt. Adonis is the only one who got reprimanded out of everybody there — and it wasn’t even her assignment at the moment?” Judge Edwards asked during her testimony.
When a lawyer asked Sgt. Adonis for her reaction to the penalties she faced, she said, “To be honest, I don’t know why I was charged at all. I’m still questioning it.”
Judge Edwards responded, “Me too.”
Information emerged about the investigations into other officers.
The Civilian Complaint Review Board, an independent oversight agency that investigates police misconduct, had recommended charges against several officers at the scene, including Sgt. Saminath, citing a failure to supervise.
He was responsible for reporting the misuse of force by officers, lawyers noted. But in his initial interview with investigators, the sergeant did not mention the prohibited chokehold used by Mr. Pantaleo. And when calling for an ambulance, he said that Mr. Garner was “just having some trouble breathing.” An operator categorized the call as a low priority.
Sgt. Saminath said that he did not “mean anything by ‘just’” and that at the time, he did not believe excessive force was used. Internal Affairs investigators rejected the review board’s recommendation, concluding that Sgt. Saminath had acted appropriately.
Image
Daniel Pantaleo was fired from the police force in 2019, after a police administrative judge found him guilty of violating a department ban on chokeholds.Credit...Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Associated Press
The review board had also suggested charges against Mr. Pantaleo’s partner, Justin D’Amico, for failing to intervene after the chokehold was used.
Officer D’Amico testified that, at the time, he did not hear Mr. Garner say “I can’t breathe” and that he did not believe the restraint used was a chokehold. Investigators rejected the review board’s recommendation, and did not address the board’s notes that Officer D’Amico pushed Mr. Garner’s head into the ground at one point during the arrest.
Investigators said they also found that officers provided adequate medical care to Mr. Garner before emergency medical workers arrived. Officer William Meems, who had training as an E.M.T., testified that he did not check Mr. Garner’s airway or heart rate. But he said he turned Mr. Garner on his side to help him breathe after he was handcuffed and found a pulse.
Lt. Luke Gasquez, a former lead investigator in the unit of Internal Affairs that probes use-of-force complaints, said it was clear that Officer Meems “immediately” started providing aid once the arrest was in control and that, overall, he saw no issues with the care offered.
Mr. Pantaleo’s partner fell under further scrutiny for the initial arrest.
Officer D’Amico faced additional scrutiny from lawyers. He is the only person to say that he saw Mr. Garner make two cigarette sales before moving to make an arrest.
He said he thought he was about 350 feet from Mr. Garner when he saw a “handoff of a cigarette for what appeared to be money.” He said he saw another exchange as the officers drove closer.
But several eyewitnesses at the scene said they did not see Mr. Garner make a cigarette sale, according to investigators. “In circumstances like this where it’s the word of a single officer, against eight New York City residents, does the officer just win?” Gabriel Jaime-Bettan, a lawyer for the petitioners, asked Lt. Gasquez.
Judge Edwards said the question was inappropriate for the nature of the inquiry. And Lt. Gasquez said that his group still viewed Officer D’Amico’s statements as credible and had found that it was possible for him to see a cigarette sale from his location at the time.
The alleged leak of Mr. Garner’s sealed arrest records remains unresolved.
After Mr. Garner’s death, news outlets including The New York Times reported details from the police about his full arrest record. Several reports noted that he had been arrested more than 30 times.
One document from Internal Affairs said that Mr. Garner had been arrested 33 times since 1988; 10 of those arrests had been sealed, another document showed.
Lawyers said those documents demonstrated that the police had violated state law by releasing information about criminal cases that had been dismissed and sealed.
The leaks represented a major focus of the inquiry. But the matter went largely unresolved, as witnesses including Stephen Davis, the department’s top spokesman at the time of Mr. Garner’s death, said they did not know who had provided the information on the sealed arrests.
Investigators in Internal Affairs said that they did not probe the matter and did not know of accusations related to leaks at the time. “I was not aware of any of this,” Lt. Gasquez said.
PIX11 MORNING NEWS
Legal battle over Eric Garner’s death continues
by: Dan Mannarino, Hazel Sanchez, Veronica Rosario, AJ Jondonero
Posted: Sep 8, 2022 / 09:26 AM EDT
Updated: Sep 8, 2022 / 09:26 AM EDT
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NEW YORK (PIX11) — Gwen Carr, Eric Garner’s mother, demanded complete access to records regarding her son’s death. She also called on Mayor Eric Adams and police officials to fire two more officers involved in her son’s case.
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“I need answers, and, right now, I’m not getting all the answers that I need,” Carr told PIX11 News.
Carr joined PIX11 Morning News on Thursday to talk about her demands in connection to the ongoing legal battle over her son’s death.
Watch the video player above for the full interview.
Legal battle over Eric Garner’s death continues
by: Dan Mannarino, Hazel Sanchez, Veronica Rosario, AJ Jondonero
Posted: Sep 8, 2022 / 09:26 AM EDT
Updated: Sep 8, 2022 / 09:26 AM EDT
SHARE
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Gwen Carr, Eric Garner’s mother, demanded complete access to records regarding her son’s death. She also called on Mayor Eric Adams and police officials to fire two more officers involved in her son’s case.
Sign up for PIX11’s Daily Newsletter for all the news you need to know
RELATED CONTENT
- Motorcade, wreath-laying ceremony to mark 7 years …
- Gwen Carr calls anti-chokehold act named after son …
- NYPD fires Daniel Pantaleo 5 years after Eric Garner’s …
“I need answers, and, right now, I’m not getting all the answers that I need,” Carr told PIX11 News.
Carr joined PIX11 Morning News on Thursday to talk about her demands in connection to the ongoing legal battle over her son’s death.
Watch the video player above for the full interview.
Wednesday marks 10 years since Eric Garner's death at the hands of NYC police
It's been 10 years since the death of Eric Garner who was killed in his Staten Island community by police.
STATEN ISLAND (WABC) -- It's been 10 years since the death of Eric Garner who was killed in his Staten Island community by police in 2014.
A viral video captured his final breaths at the hands of police, which shook the city and launched nationwide protests calling for accountability and an outcry against police brutality.
Eyewitness News' Phil Taitt sat down with Garner's 29-year-old son and Garner's mother to look back on the past decade.
Eric Garner Jr, Garner's son, said when he runs up and down the basketball court on Staten Island where he learned how to play the game with his dad, the memories come bouncing back.
"He taught me how to dribble, shoot, jump off the left leg when I'm shooting the right-hand layup," Garner Jr. said.
Garner Jr. signed a full scholarship to Essex County College with his dad by his side.
When asked what's been the biggest sense of loss since his father's passing, Garner Jr. said "Father's Day."
Garner died on July 17, 2014 after gasping for air when he was heard saying "I can't breathe," several times after he was put in an illegal chokehold by police.
He had been stopped by cops for allegedly selling illegal loose cigarettes.
The officer who applied the unauthorized chokehold was Daniel Pantaleo.
"10 years later, I'm not angry at the police," Garner Jr. said. "I'm angry at Daniel Pantaleo because he didn't have to choke my pops out on a corner like that."
Garner's dying words became a rallying cry and sparked protests around the world, demanding justice and police accountability.
His death was ruled a homicide, but a grand jury refused to indict Pantaleo and anyone else who was at the scene.
Five years later, Pantaleo was kicked off the police force.
Commissioner James O'Neill said, "It is clear Daniel Pantaleo can no longer effectively serve as a police officer."
For the past 10 years, Garner's mother, Gwen Carr, has been turning her anger into action.
Her life-long mission is now committed to police reform.
At the top of her list was banning police chokeholds.
"It only banned chokeholds in New York State. We need a nationwide law that says you cannot choke a person to death. You cannot obstruct their breathing," Carr said.
Her son's death pushed a national conversation and created change, in large part because of Carr
The New York attorney general can now prosecute police-related deaths of unarmed civilians.
Carr's mission also has her questioning other controversial police protections like qualified immunity.
"If we could get rid of that qualified immunity, I think we would have a better police force," Carr said.
Qualified immunity shields public officials from liability for misconduct, even when they've broken the law.
There's a long list of people who have died at the hands of police, one of them George Floyd, who said the same dying words of Eric Garner six years later.
"We see that these murders, these innocent victims, murdered by the police, is still happening. There were several right after my son's death. And then going forward there were many more," Carr said.
Carr said July 17, 2014 feels like yesterday for a mother who lost a son. And for a son who lost a father, Garner Jr. knows his father's death can still have meaning.
"Take that video that went viral. Use it as inspiration on to like, the people that's coming up as officers. Like that is what you don't do. Just as what you can't do. This is just not right," Garner Jr. said.