The law that led to this confrontation was pressed forward by former New York Mayor Michael Nanny Bloomberg; Garner had been arrested some eight times for selling untaxed cigarettes.
Anything but selling ciggs. That is the worse, most horrible, dastardly thing a human being could possibly do. The death sentence via choking is warranted. /s/
There are a lot of laws on the books. Why did it take four or five cops to arrest one may for what was almost certainly a midemeanor? That's an efficient use of police manpower? There isn't any other crime in Staten Island for them to go after?