No Charges for Officer Who Put Eric Garner in Deadly Chokehold

A grand jury decided Wednesday not to indict a New York police officer in the killing of a Staten Island man whose death sparked outrage after video of the confrontation went viral.

Officer Daniel Panteleo will not face charges for Eric Garner’s death, the Associated Press reports. On July 17, officers accused Garner of selling untaxed cigarettes and attempted to arrest him, which Garner protested. The video depicts a group of officers forcing Garner to the ground, while Panteleo puts him in what appears to be a chokehold—which is banned by the New York Police Department.

Garner can be heard in the video, shot by his friend Ramsey Orta, saying repeatedly, “I can’t breathe.” The New York Medical Examiner later ruled Garner’s death a homicide caused by “compression of the neck.”

Though several officers were involved in Garner’s arrest, Panteleo was the only one potentially facing charges in the death.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio released a statement on Wednesday calling it a “deeply emotional day” for both Garner’s family and the city of New York. “His death was a terrible tragedy that no family should have to endure,” de Blasio said. He noted that Garner’s death put a “spotlight on police-community relations and civil rights” and called for those protesting the decision announced Wednesday to do so peacefully.