I agree. Police are arresting the average person. The average person may very well not be in a healthy condition. Lots of people have asthma and diabetes. They should not be put at risk for a small non-violent crime.
The problem here was that the grand jury had the wrong person in front of it for the wrong crime. The four people sitting on Garner and the one guy who is twisting his head and forcing it flat on the sidewalk were causing the death.
I would be happy if the City of New York paid the Garner family a few million and changed how they arrest huge black men.
Being wrestled to the sidewalk and handcuffed is really hard on the psychi of most of the population. I really wonder what the difference is between a forcible arrest like this and a rape. Pain, helplessness, a feeling of violation, I think its really the same thing.
Most people who agree with the police say that Garner did something wrong. But the reality is that much of the population would have also done something wrong. Its not in our Psychi to submit to a painful state of helplessness. There are lots of people who will go berzerk. Its really not their fault.
While the majority of us can quietly, logically submit. There are millions who can’t. Or who can’t all the time. And they should not risk death every time a cop approaches them. The police need to find a better way. And I hope the millions they send to the Garner family from the NYC treasury helps them find it.
I do not believe that it can be proved that the 4 people sitting on him and the guy twisting is head caused death.
Maybe they did, maybe they didn’t.
Maybe he had a heart attack and died right then and there.