Crime and punishment
Grand jury decision coming today in Eric Garner case
The Staten Island grand jury deliberating over whether to indict the police officer responsible for killing Eric Garner, an unarmed man whose death was caught on camera, is expected to reach a decision as soon as today.
Garner died in Staten Island in July after police encountered him selling untaxed cigarettes. As the video taken by a passerby documented, the police surrounded Garner and put him in a chokehold, a tactic forbidden by NYPD rules. Despite Garner's repeated cries that he couldn't breathe, the police maintained their position until Garner died.
Garner's 18-year-old son, Eric Snipes, says he is hoping for an indictment but does not anticipate Ferguson-style protests if the jury does not indict, commenting, "I think everybody knows my father wasn't a violent man and they're going to respect his memory by remaining peaceful."