NY - Officer Daniel Pantaleo used deadly chokehold on Eric Garner, Staten Island, July 2014

[epiphany]

I hate when people try to peddle or hustle me for dumb stuff they're trying to sell (just like I hate it when at a red light, somebody tries to wash your windshield to grub some dough).
I don't like when people who violate the law get mouthy with LE. Just shut up & walk away cause that's how you stay alive.
Sorry libs, this is the real deal.

BBM

I don't like it either, but it's not a crime. In this case, though, he was resisting arrest.

 

[Archangel7]

Ahhh, now we are getting somewhere... So they do not get a Carte Blanche? "The amount of force necessary to effect the arrest"
It is my opinion and I believe the opinion of a whole crap load of other people that in this case the amount of force that was used was unnecessary and over the top. That man was not a threat.

He was resisting a lawful arrest by an agent of the State, a police officer, and to place him in custody(cuffed) he was placed in a position to effectively do that. He had a choice and made a poor one. while it is unfortunate he died, there was absolutely nothing criminal about it and was per the law regardless.

 

[Archangel7]

Read my post again re: your don't touch me comment.

It looked to me like he put his arms up as though to say I am not a threat. Maybe it is just me and there was something threatening about what he was doing, I dunno...

It really doesn't have to be threatening, he could have run, it would STILL be resisting arrest.

 

[CHERIE.T]

Read my post again re: your don't touch me comment.

It looked to me like he put his arms up as though to say I am not a threat. Maybe it is just me and there was something threatening about what he was doing, I dunno...

...............................................................................

 

[CoolJ]

31 arrests for petty crimes is still a petty criminal. Just one who was caught a lot.

Or one who was targeted(harassed) a lot. JMO

 

[jmcgladr]

Or one who was targeted(harassed) a lot. JMO

Both, most likely.

 

[al66pine]

.... As far as crimes go though, selling loose cigarettes seems incredibly low on the totem pole. I don't know why it's even illegal. ...

bbm

We can all have diff ideas about which laws LE should spend time enforcing, but that aside ---

NYC LE did not kill MrG for selling untaxed cigs. NYC LE used force on MrG in response to his actions in resisting arrest.

JM2cts.

 

[Archangel7]

Or one who was targeted(harassed) a lot. JMO

So arresting a rapist or a jaywalker 31 times is harassment? Police take an oath to enforce the law, sometimes you catch the career criminals more than once.

 

[CoolJ]

Listen to the first vid linked here Friday.. I heard him say don't touch me.

Ok I will try again. Re-read my post.

 

[jmcgladr]

bbm

We can all have diff ideas about which laws LE should spend time enforcing, but that aside ---

NYC LE did not kill MrG for selling untaxed cigs. NYC LE used force on MrG in response to his actions in resisting arrest.

JM2cts.

Well, as others have mentioned, the "resisting arrest" seemed awfully mild and nonviolent, and the police response seemed completely out of scale to the purely verbal "resisting arrest."

 

[epiphany]

I agree with this! It is almost like the EMT thought he was faking. Why was she talking to him if he was clearly unresponsive, she did not assess his breathing, she did not check to see if he was responsive to stimuli... It was waaaay out of the ordinary for any EMT or Paramedic, they are VERY well trained. I would say there is a very good chance the cops told her as she was arriving on scene that he was probably faking. JMO

BBM

I won't go that far. No, IMO.

Her words were ridiculous IMO speaking to him as if he was actually going to verbally respond to her.

EMS deferring to LE? Unsure if that's the right word. EMS arrive on scene, but do NOT take charge of their patient, do not respond independently, so-to-speak.

 

[CoolJ]

So arresting a rapist or a jaywalker 31 times is harassment? Police take an oath to enforce the law, sometimes you catch the career criminals more than once.

And sometimes you pick on the ones you don't like.

 

[jmcgladr]

So arresting a rapist or a jaywalker 31 times is harassment? Police take an oath to enforce the law, sometimes you catch the career criminals more than once.

A rapist no, a jaywalker yes. IMO. We should care about jaywalking that much?

 

[ATasteOfHoney]

BBM

I don't like it either, but it's not a crime. In this case, though, he was resisting arrest.

Actually, in some areas I believe it is a crime to peddle, panhandle, or be a nuisance. States & municipalities have their own laws.
In this particular case of selling loose cigarettes; vendors must pay taxes on cigarettes sold as well as ensure that the buyer is of legal age. He probably wasn't doing any of that.

CoolJ made a point that I'd like to expand on: some people are of differing impressions of what the role of a police officer is. That alone should be defined so that we all understand if LE is a peacemaker, a negotiator with criminals, an enforcer, an individual who while on duty is held to a different level of acceptable brute force than a layperson (or on the same playing field), a mediator, a mentor.....or what?
It seems that LE is being asked to be too many things. LE's role should be defined & it should be simple.

I only need LE to enforce the law because I feel it is my own personal responsibility to not violate the law. Itis my responsibility to know the laws. Therefore, if I inadvertently or accidentally violate the law & LE arrived, I would immediately comply. No mouthing off, no resisting.

 

[Archangel7]

Well, as others have mentioned, the "resisting arrest" seemed awfully mild and nonviolent, and the police response seemed completely out of scale to the purely verbal "resisting arrest."

Running away would be non violent but you would need to be tackled to be stopped in that case, not much difference.

 

[JLSChook]

Someone being a criminal doesn't mean they deserve to die. Especially if they are just a petty criminal, as EG was.

Link to his criminal record please? I've been wanting to see this for a while now. Thanks.

 

[jmcgladr]

Link to his criminal record please? I've been wanting to see this for a while now. Thanks.

I don't have a link to his criminal record. But here is a link:

"He has a criminal record that includes more than 30 arrests dating back to 1980 on charges such as assault, resisting arrest and grand larceny."

(http://online.wsj.com/articles/new-...minal-charges-in-eric-garner-death-1417635275)

 

[ATasteOfHoney]

"Please, leave me alone officer"
"Please, don't touch me"
LOL Those words constitute "resisting arrest"???
Wow, those cops must have felt pretty threatened by those harsh and resistive words...

JMO

Cool---what were the officers supposed to say next, "ok, since you've asked nicely, we'll just let you go"?
It doesn't work like that.
They're there to do a job.

 

[Zuri]

When the police went to arrest him he immediately said don't touch me or keep your hands off me. That alone constitutes resisting as does moving you hands away(resisting) while being placed in custody.

I didn't know this. BTW, thanks for educating us on the chokehold thing etc. I don't know very much about police procedure and appreciate your info. It helps all of us understand the rationale. Thanks again.

 

[ATasteOfHoney]

Someone being a criminal doesn't mean they deserve to die. Especially if they are just a petty criminal, as EG was.

Sorry but life isn't fair & if you're a criminal, you've upped the bar on dying. Deserve it or not, it's plain statistics.