5 years after Eric Garner's death, NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo has been fired
The officer involved in the death of Eric Garner in 2014 has been fired for his use of a prohibited chokehold during the encounter.
New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill on Monday announced that NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo "can no longer serve as a police officer," though he added that Garner "should have decided against resisting arrest."
The decision comes two weeks after it was determined that Pantaleo violated department policy when he restrained Eric Garner with a prohibited chokehold in 2014, leading to Garner's death in an attempt to arrest him for allegedly selling "loose" cigarettes. The police administrative judge who found Pantaleo guilty of the violation recommended his termination. Pantaleo's defense team had argued that Garner's death resulted from pre-existing health issues.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The incident involving Pantaleo and Garner was caught on video, revealing that as Pantaleo restrained him Garner repeatedly said "I can't breathe," words which went on to play a significant role in the Black Lives Matter movement. Garner's family and fellow activists have been lobbying for Pantaleo to lose his job for years. They also believe at least 11 officers involved at the scene should be held accountable for their actions, The New York Times reports.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Today's political cartoons - March 16, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - pointed commentary, Haiti in trouble, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilarious cartoons about the RNC's MAGA takeover
Cartoons Artists take on RNC funding, Lara Trump, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Trump's presidential run: a bad bet for Republicans?
Talking Point The GOP is taking a 'big gamble' on former president's 2024 White House bid
By The Week UK Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published