Swarms of protesters bring New York City streets to a standstill after jury clears cop in Eric Garner death

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[h=1]Swarms of protesters bring New York City streets to a standstill after jury clears cop in Eric Garner death[/h]

• Protesters took to streets Wednesday night and Thursday morning to protest a grand jury's decision not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo
• Traffic was intermittently snarled on the West Side Highway, in Midtown Manhattan and at the Lincoln Tunnel
• Earlier in the night other protesters intended to disrupt the annual Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony, but cops kept them back
• Still other protesters staged a die-in at busy Grand Central Station just as evening rush hour was hitting its peak
• After midnight, 1,000 protesters completely blocked the Brooklyn Bridge in a show of might as the demonstration left Manhattan

Protesters enraged by a grand jury's decision not to indict the officer whose chokehold killed Eric Garner took their cause to the New York City streets Wednesday, bringing traffic to a standstill.
Hundreds chanted 'I can't breathe' as they marched through Midtown Manhattan or laid their bodies end to end on the city's West Side Highway.
The protests, which carried on through to Thursday morning, remained civil and peaceful.
They clogged Lincoln Tunnel, staged 'die-ins' in the middle of Grand Central Station and crossed the Brooklyn Bridge on foot as pockets of demonstrators across America's largest metropolis sought to spread their simple message: black lives matter.

 

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Into Brooklyn: A group of protesters rallying against a grand jury's decision not to indict the police officer involved in the death of Eric Garner occupies the eastbound traffic lanes of the Brooklyn Bridge in the early morning hours of Thursday

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In the late Wednesday night hours and early Thursday morning, protesters convened on Brooklyn Bridge, where at least 1,000 demonstrators blocked traffic and moved their message from Manhattan and into the borough of Brooklyn

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Protesters remained civil and police officers largely gave them the space to make their message clear, even if it meant traffic headaches in some of the city's busiest areas

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Not satisfied: In his first public comments, Pantaleo said he prays for Garner's family and hopes they accept his condolences. Here, protesters swarm the Brooklyn Bridge

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Snarling traffic: Demonstrators block the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel, which connects Manhattan to New Jersey and points west

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Sitting in: Here, demonstrators block the Lincoln Tunnel. US Attorney General Eric Holder asked protesters to be peaceful and launched a federal probe into the choking death of Eric Garner

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Opposing sides: Wednesday's protests in New York were civil, with about 30 arrests by mid-evening

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People sit and block the Lincoln Tunnel, in part in solidarity with Garner's family. Garner's mother, Gwen Carr, said the grand jury decision 'just tore me up'

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Let them be: Police were clearly showing restraint and allowing demonstrators to express their views

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New York City Police officers detain a demonstrator protesting against the verdict announced in the shooting death of Michael Brown, as they block traffic in near the Lincoln Tunnel. Only around 30 arrests were made Wednesday

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While the marches undoubtedly annoyed many, it remained largely civil and non-destructive

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Halt: New York City police officers stop demonstrators from entering the Lincoln Tunnel

 

[superbeets]

After midnight, 1,000 demonstrators took their cause out of Manhattan and into the adjoining borough of Brooklyn as they crossed the Brooklyn Bridge en mass.
Prior to that, a pocket of protesters blocked on of the tubes of the Lincoln Tunnel, which connects Manhattan to New Jersey to the west.
Others across town had planned to disrupt the annual Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony-- where protesters and revelers alike thronged the busy Midtown streets--but police ensured the Garner supporters got nowhere near the world famous tree.
Wednesday's protests in New York were civil, with about 30 arrests by mid-evening, although police were clearly showing restraint and allowing demonstrators to express their views.
Marchers snaked through midtown Manhattan streets, chanting and bumping up against throngs of tourists in New York for the holiday season.
A total of around 100 protesters easily shut down the West Side Highway as baton-wielding police pushed they northward around 9:30pm, NBC News reports.

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Halted: Demonstrators block the West Side Highway after grand jury decision not to charge white police officer Daniel Pantaleo who killed unarmed black man Garner with a chokehold

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Dispersed: Pockets of protesters appeared throughout Manhattan on Wednesday night, including on the West Side Highway (pictured)

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Moving en masse: Demonstrators on the West Side Highway stopped traffic with shear numbers and moved north, reportedly headed for the Lincoln Tunnel

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Shut down: NYPD police stand guard on the West Side Highway as protesters brought traffic to a standstill after the jury verdict in the death of Eric Garner. As the protesters later dispersed, they moved toward the Lincoln Tunnel

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Blocked traffic with their bodies: People lie on the middle of the West Side Highway during the protest

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Coordinated effort: A total of around 100 protesters easily shut down the West Side Highway

 

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In Times Square, a crowd of at least 200 people chanted, 'No indictment is denial. We want a public trial.'
Meredith Reitman, a 40-year-old white woman from Queens, held a sign that said, 'White silence (equals) white consent.'
She said the decision not to indict shocked her, even though some might think she was being naive to expect an indictment. 'We should hope for justice and be surprised every time it doesn't happen,' Reitman said.
About 400 protesters marched through midtown Manhattan, tying up traffic. They were heading from Times Square to Rockefeller Center, where the annual tree-lighting ceremony was held Wednesday night.
Police presence was heavy as hundreds of protesters stood behind rows of police barricades, but the annual tradition went on without a hitch.

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Lighting up the night: Lit up by roadside lights, protesters march in a line heading north up the West Side Highway with the Hudson River seen in the distance

Police walk within throngs of demonstrators on 6th Avenue in Manhattan. At right, a demonstrator holes a 'Demilitarize the police' sign

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Hands up: A total of around 100 protesters easily shut down the West Side Highway

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Showing their support: A motorist, right, shows support for people marching during the protest

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About 400 protesters marched through midtown Manhattan, tying up traffic. They were heading from Times Square to Rockefeller Center

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Non-violent: The protests, including die-ins held at Grand Central Station and here in Midtown, were non-violent and involved no destruction of property

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Demanding attention: A line of protester walk through traffic on New York City's 6th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan

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Die-in: Uniformed and plainclothes officers stood within the ranks of demonstrators but none wore the SWAT-style attire that's been criticized in Ferguson

 

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Still other protesters staged a die-in at busy Grand Central Station just as evening rush hour was hitting its peak.
Dozens of them were lying on the floor of Grand Central Terminal as some onlookers paused to gawk and take pictures on Wednesday evening in the main part of the terminal, near the famous clock.
Other commuters just walked around them. As the protesters lay on the floor, an onlooker spit in their direction.
Uniformed and plainclothes officers stood by. Before leaving, the protesters stood up to chant 'I can't breathe' and 'Eric Garner.'
The MTA reported no train delays as a result.
In a direct and sometimes passionate speech from Staten Island this evening, de Blasio made his dismay about a jury's decision not to charge Officer Daniel Pantaleo abundantly clear Wednesday.

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A man is arrested by police as he takes part in a protest on 6th Avenue in Manhattan. Several were arrested in the protests and some screamed their names as they were hauled away

Two women are arrested by police as they take part during a protest on 6th Avenue

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Arrests: Despite the non-violent nature of the widespread demonstrations, some protesters did have heated run-ins with police

De Blasio was among several prominent political figures to address the decision. President Obama himself went so far as to concede police racial bias does exist.
Obama also revealed he'd spoken with Attorney General Eric Holder about the case. Holder on Wednesday evening announced the Department of Justice's civil rights wing had launched an investigation into the death of 43-year-old Staten Island father of six Eric Garner.
An emotional de Blasio said the decision of a grand jury not to indict the officer who who put Eric Garner into a fatal chokehold was, 'A very painful day for so many New Yorkers.'
In a deeply personal and heartfelt address, the mayor, who is married to an African American woman, said that when he spoke to Eric Garner's bereaved father, 'I couldn't help but immediately think of what it would mean to me to lose (his son) Dante.'
With barely a word of support for the NYPD or their cleared officer, de Blasio's used his own son to explain that he knows the struggle and frustration that black people feel when dealing with police in New York City.
'We've had to talk to Dante for years about dangers he may face,' said de Blasio about the infamous 'talk' many parents of African American or mixed-race children have nationwide.

 

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Face off: A man faces off with a police officer in New York during a protest against the grand jury decision in the Eric Garner case

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Black lives matter: Protesters outside Rockefeller Center hold up 'Black lives matter signs' as a police officer looks on

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The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting is an extremely popular event that sees thousands gathered in Midtown Manhattan, making it a highly visible place of protest for those outraged over the Eric Garner decision that came hours earlier

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Show did go on: Police presence was heavy as hundreds of protesters stood behind rows of police barricades, but the annual tradition went on without a hitch

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Making themselves known: A group of protesters with signs makes their way up a congested Fifth Avenue sidewalk near Rockefeller Center as they rally against the decision not to indict the police officer involved in the death of Eric Garner during a ceremony to light the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree

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Disruption: Officials stand guard near Radio City Music Hall, where protesters gathered on the perimeter of the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony after it was announced that the New York City police officer involved in the death of Eric Garner is not being indicted

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'I can't breathe!': Protesters on Wednesday have adopted the Ferguson protest chant of 'Hands up, don't shoot' and added 'I can't breathe' as a nod to what Garner said to police in the moments before his death by chokehold in July

'I've had to worry over the years..Is my child safe? And not just from harsh realities…crimes and violence…are they safe from the people they want to have faith in (cops)?'
Calling it a 'national moment of pain', the mayor said that racial profiling and distrust between African Americans and the police is 'a problem for all New Yorkers, it is a problem for all Americans. It's all our problem.'
Clearly unhappy with the grand jury's decision to clear Pantaleo for the bungled arrest during which he was videoed putting Garner into a chokehold, de Blasio called for change.
'Anyone who cares about the American value of justice should understand that this is a moment that change must happen,' said the mayor.
Quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, de Blasio's displeasure was clear when he said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'
However, de Blasio warned those seeking that justice not to descend to the level of some of the rioters that marred the peaceful protests seen in Ferguson when Officer Darren Wilson was cleared.

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The MTA said the no train delays occurred as a result of the 'die-ins' held at Grand Central Station on Wednesday during rush hour

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Powerful: Protesters lay down in Grand Central in response to grand jury's decision not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo in Eric Garner's death

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Non-violent: Protesters gathered in Grand Central Terminal to protest the failure of a grand jury to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner

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Continued protests: A 'die-in' protest against the decision of a grand jury not to indict a police officer involved in the death of Eric Garner, in the main hall of Grand Central Terminal in New York on Wednesday evening

'You will not sully his name with violence,' said de Blasio mentioning a specific request of Eric Garner's father, Ben.
'It’s all our problem. And anyone who believes in the values of this country should feel a call to action right now,' added de Blasio.
'It is a moment that change must happen.'
The mayor also said that he had spoken with NYPD Commissioner Bratton about retraining the entire police force.
'It should be self-evident, (but) our history requires us to say 'black lives matter'.
The short address at times felt like a line in the sand being drawn by de Blasio, especially when he quoted his commissioner, Bill Bratton on weeding out those who do not belong in law enforcement.
'The department will act aggressively to ensure that any officer who is not meant to be in this work no longer is.'
Indeed, he left the air hanging with the question of whether Officer Pantaleo will remain with the NYPD.

 

[superbeets]

[h=3]'A DEEPLY EMOTIONAL DAY': NYC MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO'S STATEMENT[/h]'This is a deeply emotional day – for the Garner Family, and all New Yorkers. His death was a terrible tragedy that no family should have to endure. This is a subject that is never far from my family's minds – or our hearts. And Eric Garner's death put a spotlight on police-community relations and civil rights – some of most critical issues our nation faces today.

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Statement: NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke earlier in the day about plans to equip NYPD officers with body cameras in the wake of the Michael Brown controversy in Ferguson

'Today's outcome is one that many in our city did not want. Yet New York City owns a proud and powerful tradition of expressing ourselves through non-violent protest. We trust that those unhappy with today's grand jury decision will make their views known in the same peaceful, constructive way. We all agree that demonstrations and free speech are valuable contributions to debate, and that violence and disorder are not only wrong – but hurt the critically important goals we are trying to achieve together.
'These goals – of bringing police and community closer together and changing the culture of law enforcement -- are why we have introduced so many reforms this year. It starts at the top with Commissioner Bratton - a strong, proven change agent. We have dramatically reduced the overuse and abuse of stop-and-frisk. We have initiated a comprehensive plan to retrain the entire NYPD to reduce the use of excessive force and to work with the community. We have changed our marijuana policy to reduce low-level arrests, and we have launched a new pilot program for body cameras for officers to improve transparency and accountability.
'These are the long term reforms we are making to ensure we don't endure tragedies like this one again in the future. But we also know that this chapter is not yet complete. The grand jury is but one part of the process. There will still be an NYPD internal investigation. And we know the US Attorney is continuing her investigation. Should the federal government choose to act, we stand ready to cooperate.
'Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – one of our nation's most profound thinkers on these issues – taught us something very simple: 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' The problem of police-community relations and civil rights is not just an issue for people of color – or young people – or people who get stopped by police. This is a fundamental issue for every American who cares about justice.
'All of us must work together to make this right – to work for justice – and to build the kind of city – and nation – we need to be.'

 

[superbeets]

Earlier, the widow of Eric Garner had exclaimed 'Oh my God, are you serious?' when she discovered the verdict, while de Blasio issued an earlier, equally emotional statement and declared that 'Today's outcome is one that many in our city did not want.'
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said that she was 'shocked' by the grand jury's decision saying that 'nobody unarmed should die on a New York City street corner for suspected low-level offences.'
Congressman Charlie Rangel was another elected New York City official who expressed frustration in the decision.
'Which side was the district attorney on? Was he seeking truth and justice in terms of the homicide?' said Rangel.
President Obama broke off from a planned speech to address the verdict saying, 'Police brutality is an American problem.'
After the decision was released it was announced the NYPD was recalling all officers from non-essential court business in anticipation of potential city-wide disturbances.
Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan said the grand jury found 'no reasonable cause' to bring charges against Garner, who was selling loose, un-taxed cigarettes.
In the neighborhood where father-of-six Garner died, people reacted with shouts, chants of 'Eric Garner' and expressions of angry disbelief.
Garner's father, Benjamin Carr, urged calm and said the ruling made no sense.
The grand jury could have considered a range of charges, from murder to a lesser offense such as reckless endangerment.
'I am actually astonished based on the evidence of the videotape, and the medical examiner, that this grand jury at this time wouldn't indict for anything,' said a lawyer for Garner's family, Jonathan Moore.

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Remarks: President Barack Obama spoke about the grand jury decision that cleared a white New York City police officer in the videotaped chokehold death of an unarmed black man

 

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[h=3]DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WILL INVESTIGATE ERIC GARNER'S DEATH[/h]The Justice Department will conduct a federal investigation into the chokehold death of an unarmed black man after a grand jury in New York City declined to indict the white police officer who applied the move, Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday.
The investigation will look for potential civil rights investigations in the July 17 death of Eric Garner, 43, who was confronted by the officer on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes. A video shot by an onlooker showed Garner telling officers to leave him alone as they tried to arrest him and one then responded by wrapping his arm around Garner's neck in what appeared to be a chokehold.
Calling the death a 'tragedy,' Holder said it was one of 'several recent incidents that have tested the sense of trust that must exist between law enforcement and the communities they are charged to serve and protect.' The death occurred weeks before the deadly police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, a case also under investigation by the Justice Department and in which a local grand jury last week also cleared an officer of wrongdoing. The cases together have contributed to a national discussion about use of excessive force by police and their treatment of minorities.
'This is not a New York issue or a Ferguson issue alone,' Holder told reporters late Wednesday. 'Those who have protested peacefully across our great nation following the grand jury's decision in Ferguson have made that clear.'

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Obama says he discussed the grand jury's decision Wednesday with Attorney General Eric Holder. A DOJ probe into the Eric Garner case will be conducted by the department's civil rights division and the U.S. Attorney's Brooklyn office. Here, Attorney General Eric Holder speaks during the opening session of The White House Tribal Nations Conference on December 3

 

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The decision, which comes nine days after the Ferguson grand jury declined to indict Officer Darren Wilson, threatens to increase already fraught racial tensions nationwide and lead to more protests.
The death of the father-of-five sparked national outrage just weeks before the fatal shooting of Michael Brown amid accusations of police brutality against African Americans.
The decision by the grand jury panel means that a majority of them did not think there was probable cause a crime was committed by Pantaleo, who was the only NYPD officer facing indictment.
Two other officers at the scene were offered immunity if they testified before the grand jury.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that he was canceling his first scheduled appearance as mayor at the Rockefeller Center tree lighting this evening and would address the city instead.
His office issued a statement calling Garner's death a 'tragedy' and a 'deeply emotional day – for the Garner Family, and all New Yorkers.'
Fearing a repeat of the riots witnessed in Ferguson, de Blasio repeated the city's commitment to non-violent protests.
'Today's outcome is one that many in our city did not want. Yet New York City owns a proud and powerful tradition of expressing ourselves through non-violent protest.'
When informed of the decision, Eric Garner's incredulous widow Esaw Garner reacted with shock.

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'H*** no I don't accept his apologies': The mourning widow of Eric Garner spoke out Wednesday night following a grand jury's decision not to indict Daniel Pantaleo for killing her husband with a chokehold and said she does not accept the officer's apology

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Garner's mother Gwen Carr addresses reporters and expressed her shock over the decision. 'I don’t know what video they were looking at,' she said. 'It wasn’t the same one the rest of the world was looking at'

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Reverend Al Sharpton addresses reporters at the press event. The decision in Eric Garner's case has further fueled flames of unrest in communities who feel police racial bias is a rampant problem in America, where they say the legal system is tipped in police favor

'Oh my God, are you serious?' said Mrs Garner to The New York Daily News.
'I'm very disappointed. You can see in the video that he (the cop) was dead wrong!'
Cellphone footage from Garner's arrest showed Pantaleo grappling with the larger man, ultimately placing his arms around his neck in a banned chokehold manoeuvre.
On the ground, Garner was clearly heard pleading, 'I can't breathe, I can't breathe' as officers handcuffed him.
He lost consciousness at the scene and was pronounced dead later that day at hospital.
'The grand jury kept interviewing witnesses but you didn't need witnesses,' said Esaw to the News.
'You can be a witness for yourself. Oh my God, this s--- is crazy.'
The Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death a homicide but police union members have always denied Pantaleo used a chokehold.
The medical examiner concluded the chokehold was the cause of death.
Officer Pantaleo issued a statement following the announcement of the grand jury decision to say he felt 'very bad.'
'I became a police officer to help people and to protect those who can't protect themselves,' said Pantaleo.

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Tensions: A man yells and chant slogans near the site of Eric Garner's death after it was announced that the officer that killed him is not being indicted

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Makeshift memorial: People stand around outside the beauty salon where Eric Garner was killed on July 17 by a police officer who put him in a choke hold

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Emotions: Two women hug near the site of Eric Garner's death on Wednesday following the announcement that NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo will not face charges

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Distraught: Benjamin Carr, the father of Eric Garner, talks on the phone and to reporters after a grand jury's decision not to indict the NYPD officer who put Eric Garner in a chokehold

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Another grand jury: The decision comes just a week and a half after a grand jury in Missouri decided not to indict Darren Wilson for the fatal shooting of Michael Brown

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Staten Island: Protestor Linder Hampton, center, wears a shirt reading 'I can't Breathe' as she speaks to reporters after the grand jury's decision

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Anonymous: The decision by the Staten Island grand jury not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo threatened to add to the tensions that have simmered in the city since the July 17 death of Eric Garner. It also prompted Pantaleo's first public comments on the death

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Incredulous: Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan said the grand jury found 'no reasonable cause' to bring charges

 

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'It is never my intention to harm anyone and I feel very bad about the death of Mr. Garner.
'My family and I include him and his family in our prayers and I hope that they will accept my personal condolences for their loss.'
Pantaleo's attorney told CNN that his client testified for two hours in front of the grand jury on November 21
'He was anxious and anxiety-filled prior to that,' said Stuart London last month. 'He is cautiously optimistic and knows that his fate is in their hands now,' added Pantaleo's lawyer.
Jonathan Moore, an attorney for Garner's family, said he was told of the grand jury's decision. Two law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the case, confirmed the officer was not indicted.
'I am actually astonished based on the evidence of the video tape, and the medical examiner, that this grand jury at this time wouldn't indict for anything, is really just astonishing,' Moore said.
The grand jury could have considered a range of charges, from murder to a lesser offense such as reckless endangerment.
Garner's family planned a news conference later in the day with the Rev. Al Sharpton. The Staten Island District Attorney's office didn't immediately respond to a call.
A video shot by an onlooker and widely viewed on the Internet showed the 43-year-old Garner telling a group of police officers to leave him alone and raise his hands in the air as they tried to arrest him.
Pantaleo responded by wrapping his arm around Garner's neck in an apparent chokehold, which is banned under NYPD policy.
The heavyset Garner, who had asthma, was heard repeatedly gasping, 'I can't breathe!'
A second video surfaced that showed police and paramedics appearing to make no effort to revive Garner while he lay motionless on the ground. He later died at a hospital.

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Restraint: Officers of the NYPD tend to Eric Garner after he was arrested on July 17 on Staten Island - with one officer (right) seen checking for his pulse

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Cuffed: Througout his physical distress Eric Garner was kept in handcuffs and it is possible to see them in this screen grab (left) from cellphone video shot at the scene

No charges: Officer Pantaleo (center, wearing green) will not be indicted for the death of Eric Garner in July

As with 18-year-old Michael Brown's death in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, the Garner case sparked protests, accusations of racist policing and calls for federal prosecutors to intervene. But unlike the Missouri protests, the demonstrations in New York remained mostly peaceful. The case also prompted Police Commissioner William Bratton to order officers at the nation's largest police department to undergo retraining on use of force.
The medical examiner ruled Garner's death a homicide and found that a chokehold contributed to it. A forensic pathologist hired by Garner's family, Dr. Michael Baden, agreed with those findings, saying there was hemorrhaging on Garner's neck indicative of neck compressions.
Police union officials and Pantaleo's lawyer have argued that the officer used a takedown move taught by the police department, not a chokehold, because he was resisting arrest and that Garner's poor health was the main reason he died.
While details on the grand jurors were not disclosed, Staten Island is the most politically conservative of the city's five boroughs and home to many police and firefighters. The panel began hearing evidence in late September, including the video, autopsy results and testimony by Pantaleo.
Pantaleo had been stripped of his gun and badge and placed on desk duty while the case was under investigation. He is likely to remain on modified duty while the NYPD conducts an internal investigation that could result in administrative charges.
In anticipation of the announcement on the grand jury decision, police officials met with community leaders on Staten Island to head off a repeat of the response in Ferguson, where a grand jury decided not to indict the white officer who shot the black teen. Demonstrations there turned violent, resulting in more than 100 arrests and destruction of 12 commercial buildings by fire.

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Family man: Garner's death was officially ruled a homicide by the Medical Examiner's Office in August. His wife Esaw (left) breaks down in tears as civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton speaks at the National Action Network last week. And (right) Garner is pictured with four of his six children

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United in grief: The mother of Michael Brown, Lesley McSpadden (right) and the wife of slain Eric Garner, who died in police custody over the summer, Esaw Garner (left) react as they pray during a press conference at the National Action Network in Harlem in New York on the Sunday before Thanksgiving

 

[Dave007inVegas]

Here’s a brilliant idea, stop using a grand jury and have Obama, Holder and Sharpton decide whom to prosecute.

And by the way according to the CDC web site…

http://webappa.cdc.gov/sasweb/ncipc/mortrate10_us.html

As of 2012 (latest available data) 123 African-Americans were shot dead by police. The same year, 326 whites were shot dead by police.

It appears the police are color blind.

 

[superbeets]

[h=1]Eric Garner death: US grand jury system 'broken'[/h]

Civil rights activist Al Sharpton spoke at a press conference in New York


Civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton has labelled the US grand jury system "broken" and called on the federal government to address it.

 

[Dave007inVegas]

Eric Garner death: US grand jury system 'broken'

Civil rights activist Al Sharpton spoke at a press conference in New York


Civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton has labelled the US grand jury system "broken" and called on the federal government to address it.

This from a guy that owes millions in taxes and gets a pass from the IRS. He should run for president in 2016.

 

[SheriffJoe]

He's just there to help:

 

[Dafinch]

Gas on the fire? In this particular instance? Even most Righties see what's going on here. You guys get dumber by the minute. Or, maybe you agree with THIS nitwit:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...-garners-death-this-is-a-problem-for-the-gop/

[h=1]Peter King blames asthma and obesity for[/h][h=1]Eric Garner’s death. That’s a problem for the GOP.[/h] By Nia-Malika Henderson December 4 at 12:07 PM

There has been a rare breakout of bipartisanship over the death of Eric Garner, with Republicans and Democrats sharing concerns about a grand jury's failure to indict a New York police officer who put him in a chokehold.
Conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer called the decision "totally incomprehensible."
"It looks as if at least they might have indicted him on something like involuntary manslaughter at the very least," Krauthammer said on Fox News. "The guy actually said ‘I can’t breathe,’ which ought to be a signal, if the guy was unarmed and the crime was as petty as they come."
(Garner was suspected of selling tax-free single cigarettes.)

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), meanwhile, has called for House hearings. And Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) slammed the decision.
"You don't have to be a lawyer or an ex-prosecutor to know a human being was killed," Rangel said at a press conference, where he was flanked by other members of the New York delegation. "He was surrounded by policemen. No one else touched him. And the grand jury did not say that he committed suicide. They didn't say what happened."
But amid all of this consensus, one of the exceptions has been Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y), who tweeted this:
King, who represents Long Island, also defended police officer Daniel Pantaleo's use of the chokehold, suggesting Garner's obesity and asthma made the situation more dangerous than it should have been.
"The police had no reason to know he was in serious condition," King said on CNN. "You had a 350-pound person who was resisting arrest. The police were trying to bring him down as quickly as possible. If he had not had asthma and a heart condition and was so obese, almost definitely he would not have died."
Medical examiners ruled Garner's death a homicide and said his health was a contributing factor. It listed the chokehold, his position on the ground and the compression of his chest as the main cause.
While it is unlikely that many other lawmakers, Republican or Democrat, will frame the case in the way that King has, his take will likely be a template for how some other conservatives -- particularly on talk radio and in the more obscure blogosphere -- will talk about the case. And the grand jury that declined to indict Pantaleo has its defenders. (For his part, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky), has blamed Garner's death on the high cigarette tax in New York.)
Even as many in his party are anxious to show that they are concerned about the police's treatment of an unarmed black man, King is sticking with this police-were-right mentality. And that probably doesn't help the GOP, given the consensus that seems to be forming here.
Nia-Malika Henderson is a political reporter for The Fix.

 

[Seymour]

Of course he's putting gas on the fire - fuck, he starts the fire too - there is no police killing blacks problem - blacks do not need to worry about cops killing them - he is making this shit up - whites are killed by police at a rate of 3/1 to blacks - the dude owes the IRS 5 million - how do u think he makes enough money to have a tax liability of 5 mil?

 

[Dafinch]

Of course he's putting gas on the fire - fuck, he starts the fire too - there is no police killing blacks problem - blacks do not need to worry about cops killing them - he is making this shit up - whites are killed by police at a rate of 3/1 to blacks - the dude owes the IRS 5 million - how do u think he makes enough money to have a tax liability of 5 mil?

He didn't strangle a guy on film with a banned choke hold who said 11 times that he couldn't breathe, so how the FUCK did he start this fire? Blacks don't have to worry about cops killing them-that statement alone shows that you're a moron, and how much taxes he does or doesn't owe is absolutely irrelevant to this case.

 

[Seymour]

I'm not referring to this specific case - I'm referring to the rabble rousing he has done where blacks and white kiddies and occupy wall streeters are running around like the country is in a crisis because blacks are being murdered by cops - this is one case - I personally think this cop should be charged with some form of manslaughter - with that said - the dude has been arrested 31 times (I have a hard time believing that is true though) - the cop took him down by a choke hold - the dude died through a combination of terrible health, the cops actions and terrible circumstances - less than 150 blacks were killed by cops - last night I'm sure 150 blacks were killed by blacks - pick a real cause - Rev Al would be homeless without his make believe racist activism bullshit

 

[SheriffJoe]