Posted on 12/08/2014 8:50:19 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
A week after a grand jury in Missouri decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson for the shooting of Michael Brown, a grand jury in Staten Island decided not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo for the death of Eric Garner. A second white cop avoiding indictment for the death of a second black citizen drew even more angry demonstrations.
Garner died during an altercation with the police after they busted him for selling individual “loosie” cigarettes, to avoid paying taxes on them. This leads some critics of the grand jury decision to say that Garner was “killed for nothing” or “killed because he was selling cigarettes.”
That’s not true — he died because he got into a scuffle with the police, and while video taken of his death led to accusations that Officer Pantaleo deliberately murdered Garner with a prohibited chokehold, Garner’s obesity, asthma, and heart trouble were factors in his death. That’s the kind of evidence the grand jury would have reviewed before making its decision.
It’s important to remember that every violation of the law could conceivably result in a violent confrontation with police that gets the lawbreaker killed. If a cop approaches someone for jaywalking, and that person gets belligerent, attacks the cop, and is shot dead, then he wasn’t “killed for jaywalking.”
But it’s true that Eric Garner was approached by the police for breaking some heavy-handed regulations on cigarette sales, which were handed down by the Food and Drug Administration in 2010. Garner knew that what he was doing was wrong. He did it to deliberately avoid taxes and regulations. Prices for cigarettes in the New York City area are about $13.00 per pack with state and city taxes contributing $5.85 to the cost per pack...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Chokehold Nanny State PING!
I believe he was originally approached because he broke up a fight. That’s what brought cops to the scene. THEN they started harassing him.
The choke hold was a red herring. He was a fat guy who got crushed while on his big tummy. Same thing happened to Ethan Saylor in Frederick, MD. They should ALL be charged, not just Pantaleo. The DA is a thug.
It was more of a headlock than a chokehold. The guy didn’t die there on the street from lack of air, he died later at the hospital. Garner had illegal drugs in his system and had multiple health problems. If they are going to protest anyone, maybe it should be the hospital and the doctors.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if Obamacare killed him with substandard care?
Garner also had a record. This wasn’t his first rodeo with cops, so one would think he ought to know to comply. Perhaps the drugs he took made him more combative.
Americans love the Nanny State. Just ask the DEA.
Yes I believe you are right. I remember reading that also. The story has gotten changed around since the incident.
Thanks for the ping!
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