http://m.nydailynews.com/new-york/staten-island-man-dies-puts-choke-hold-article-1.1871486
Staten Island man dies after NYPD cop puts him in chokehold — SHOCKING VIDEO
KEN MURRAY, KERRY BURKE, CHELSIA MARCIUS, ROCCO PARASCANDOLAYesterday, 10:41 PM
Staten Island man dies after NYPD cop puts him in...
A 400-pound asthmatic Staten Island dad died Thursday after a cop put him in a chokehold and other officers appeared to slam his head...
Staten Island man dies after NYPD cop puts him in chokehold
NY Daily News
A 400-pound asthmatic Staten Island dad died Thursday after a cop put him in a chokehold and other officers appeared to slam his head against the sidewalk, shot video of the incident shows.
“I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!” Eric Garner, 43, repeatedly screamed after at least five NYPD officers took him down in front of a Tompkinsville beauty supply store when he resisted being handcuffed.
Within moments Garner, a married father of six children with two grandchildren, ceased struggling and appeared to become unconscious as police called paramedics to the scene. An angry crowd gathered, some recording with smart phones.
“When I kissed my husband this morning, I never thought it would be for the last time,” Garner’s wife, Esaw Garner, told the Daily News.
Police officials said Garner has a history of arrests for selling untaxed cigarettes. They did not immediately say why officers were at the scene when he drew their attention.
An NYPD spokesman would only say the man “was being placed in custody, went into cardiac arrest and died” at Richmond University Medical Center.
Esaw Garner said that when she arrived at the hospital her husband was already dead. She said she pleaded with police to tell her what happened, but they brushed her off.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWSPolice officials said Garner has a history of arrests for selling untaxed cigarettes.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWSA 400-pound asthmatic Staten Island dad died Thursday after a cop put him in a chokehld and other officers appeared to slam his head against the sidewalk, according to video of the incident.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS'I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!' Eric Garner, 43, repeatedly screamed after at least five NYPD officers took him down in front of a Tompkinsville beauty supply store when he resisted being handcuffed.
“They wouldn’t tell me anything,” she said. “The Internal Affairs office called me to say they were taking over the case because there was wrongdoing.”
Officials confirmed that NYPD Internal Affairs officers launched an investigation Thursday night.
Esaw Garner said her husband was unable to work because he suffered from a host of ailments, including chronic asthma, diabetes and sleep apnea.
“He was out there hanging out. He sold cigarettes, but he was a good man,” the widow said. “He never hurt a soul. He was the sweetest, kindest person in the world.”
Garner’s mother, Gwen Carr, 65, added, “I want justice.”
Police said Garner was not armed.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWSAn NYPD spokesman would only say the man “was being placed in custody, went into cardiac arrest and died” at Richmond University Medical Center.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWSWithin moments Garner, a married father of six children with two grandchildren, ceased struggling and appeared to become unconscious as police called paramedics to the scene.
The Staten Island resident was sitting in front of the Bay Beauty on Bay St. and Victory Blvd. just before 5 p.m. when two plainclothes cops began questioning him about selling untaxed cigarettes, a video obtained by the Daily News shows.
“I didn’t do s---!” the 6-foot-4 Garner, wearing a sweaty T-shirt and khaki shorts, tells the officers from the 120th Precinct when they approached him. “I was just minding my own business.
“Every time you see me you want to mess with me. I’m tired of it. It stops today!” he yelled.
Ramsey Orta, 22, who shot the video, tried to intervene, telling the officers his friend had just broken up a fight between three men and had not been selling cigarettes.
But when backup uniformed officers arrived, the cops moved in to cuff Garner, the video shows.
“Don’t touch me, please,” said Garner.
KEN MURRAY/NEW YORK DAILY NEWSAn angry crowd gathered, some recording with smart phones.
When Garner refused orders to put his hands behind his back, one of the plainclothes cops, wearing a green Oakland A’s T-shirt with No. 99 on the back, got behind him and put him in a chokehold, the footage shows.
A struggle ensued as two uniformed officers joined in on the arrest, knocking the man to the ground.
He screamed “I can’t breathe!” six times before he went silent and paramedics were called.
“They jumped him and they were choking him. He was foaming at the mouth,” Orta told The News. “And that’s it, he was done. The cops were saying, ‘no he’s OK, he’s OK.” He wasn’t OK.”
Some witnesses said officers used a stun gun on Garner, but the video did not show that and a police spokesman said he was unaware such a weapon was used.
“They were choking him. He kept saying, ‘I can't breathe, I can’t breathe! Get off of me, get off of me!’ and I didn't hear any more talking after that,” said witness Valencia Griffin, 50, of Staten Island. “He died right there.”
SAM COSTANZA"When I kissed my husband this morning, I never thought it would be for the last time," Garner’s wife, Esaw Garner, told the Daily News. Esaw Garner holds a photo of her late husband with sons Emery (left) and Eric.
She also said Garner had just broken up a fight before cops began questioning him.
“He was trying to stop a fight,” Griffin said. “They didn’t have to choke him like that.”
Another witness, who would only give his first name, Douglas, said he’s known Garner for four years.
“He’s a very big man, very intimidating, but he’s just a big teddy bear,” said Douglas, 50. “He’s the nicest guy. I can’t believe what I saw. That’s no way to do an arrest.”
Jeff Thomas, 49, of Brooklyn said he was arrested Saturday in the same neighborhood and beaten with a baton — for playing chess in a nearby park.
“The cops pulled up. They said we weren’t allowed to play chess,” Thomas said.
KEN MURRAY/NEW YORK DAILY NEWSRamsey Orta, 22, shot the shocking footage.
Another cell-phone video obtained by The News shows a group of uniformed cops on top of Thomas, struggling to handcuff him — one beating him in the legs with a baton.
It was not immediately clear why Thomas was arrested, but he said he was released soon after being taken to the 120th Precinct.
The video does not show what preceded the arrest. But it does show an angry mob crowding around and cursing at cops, who ordered people to stand back.
“They beat me with a baton. I just laid there while they beat me,” said Thomas, still sporting welts on his legs. “What could I do?”
this shyt with these cops needs to end...
Just sad.
More government please.
OK SLUGGER
