Officer Who Was Fired For Killing Eric Garner Is Suing To Get His Job Back

BYErika Marie2.9K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Eric Garner
Daniel Pantaleo kept his job for five years after Garner's death.

Due to the power of social media, the world watched as Eric Garner was choked to death by New York police officer Daniel Pantaleo. On July 17, 2014, a group of NYPD officers questioned Garner for selling single cigarettes on the street. He told the officers that he wasn't selling anything and that he didn't want to be harassed anymore, but they attempted to arrest him, anyway. When he became uncooperative, he was placed in a chokehold by Pantaleo. Garner repeatedly told the officers "I can't breathe," but they ignored him as he weakened and fell to the ground. They killed him on the streets of Staten Island.

It would take five years for the NYPD to terminate Pantaleo's employment, and in August 2019, the former officer found himself without a job. However, he hopes that he won't be unemployed for long, because Pantaleo is reportedly attempting to get back into the NYPD. Pantaleo, along with his legal team, have continuously insisted over the years that he used the necessary and proper amount of force on Garner. It was Garner's prior health conditions that aided in his demise, not a chokehold that killed him, claims the disgraced officer. In June, it was announced that charges would not be filed against Pantaleo. Following an administrative trial, Pantaleo was terminated, however, in the lawsuit to get his job back, he calls the move "arbitrary and capricious." 

CBS New York states that Al Sharpton sahas said, "If Pantaleo's case goes to trial, the National Action Network, Black clergy members, and civil rights leaders will pack the courts while wearing neck braces to show solidarity in our fight for justice for the Garner family and victims of police brutality. And if Pantaleo wins this lawsuit, he will continue to pose a threat to all Black and Brown people in New York City."

About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.
...