Daniel Pantaleo, the New York police officer involved in the death of Eric Garner, is facing disciplinary charges for the 2014 incident.
What We Know:
- In July 2014, Pantaleo used a chokehold to get Eric Garner on the ground. He continued to block his airway for 15 seconds after restraining him. Garner repeated “I can’t breathe” eleven times. Despite this Pantaleo continued and Garner died.
- The disciplinary hearing began on Monday. This is not a criminal trial, a grand jury decided not to indict him on criminal charges back in 2014.
- The hearing will determine if Pantaleo broke any New York Police Department rules during the 2014 incident. It is reported that he used a chokehold on Eric Garner which has not allowed by the NYPD since 1993.
- If found guilty of misconduct, Pantaleo could lose his job at the NYPD. He has been on administrative duty since Garner’s death.
- In 2015, Garner’s family received a $5.9M settlement from the city for a wrongful death claim. This could be leveraged to convict Pantaleo of misconduct.
- Stuart London, Pantaleo’s attorney, denied any wrongdoing by his client. He claimed the maneuver was not a chokehold but a “seatbelt technique” and if Garner would have “accepted the summons, he would be here today.”
Pantaleo has also denied any wrongdoing.
