[chris37]

Yes, that's true, if you know anything about choke holds then you know he wasn't choked to death at all.

I think the problem came in with this picture. If you look at the still shot, it does indeed look like he is being choked.

However, if you watch the video, you will see that this officer remained in this position for all of one second, if that.

Looking at the still can leave one with the impression that this lasted for the 2-4 minutes that it would require to actually kill someone with a choke, but the video reveals that he did have his arm around Garner's neck long enough to do anything at all.

He basically controlled Garner's head to get him to the ground, then let him go and assumed a different position that didn't involve any sort of choke.

[Bill Russell]

Thanks for posting the picture, Chris37. You are right. It looks much worse in this still photo than in the video.

It would be very difficult to explain all the dynamics of a choke hold to someone who has never experienced a real choke hold or learned how to “sink” one in (it’s all in the wrists), and convince them the hold around the neck at the exact second of this still frame is not an effective choke hold.