On July 24, 2014, Eric Garner died in New York City borough of Staten Island, after a police officer named Daniel Pantaleo from the New York City Police Department put him under a prohibited chokehold while arresting him. After the video footage of the incidence reached the public domain, it generated widespread national attention and raised questions about the wrong usage of force by law enforcement.
The NYPD officers approached Eric Garner on July 17, 2014, on suspicion of selling single cigarettes from packs without a taxation stamp. Eric told the officers that he was tired of being harassed, and he was not selling the illegal cigarettes, the officers attempted to arrest Garner.
Officer Pantaleo placed his hands on Garner, and Garner pulled his arms away. Pantaleo then put his hands around Erick’s neck and wrestled him down to the ground, and multiple officers pinned him to the ground. Garner repeated the words, “I can’t breathe” 11 times as he face was pressed to the sidewalk. Garner lost consciousness, and he remained lying on the footpath for seven minutes as the police officers waited for an ambulance to arrive. Sadly enough, Garner was pronounced dead at an area hospital approximately an hour later.
