Reel Garner cop ‘trial’

Witnesses in dock for movie mock

A movie director is filming the trial that never was — a mock proceeding against NYPD cop Daniel Pantaleo for the chokehold death of Eric Garner.

The flick will put “trial witnesses,” such as the Staten Island dad’s widow and several retired NYPD cops, on the stand — and even includes appearances by the lawyer who defended Officer Peter Liang in another infamous police-involved fatality, director Roee Messinger told The Post.

Pantaleo was not charged or indicted in Garner’s death, but “we’re attempting to show the trial that could have happened,” Messinger said.

“We’re not looking to convict Pantaleo. The project is looking to address the grave feeling that there should have been a trial.”

The final scenes are set to be shot in The Bronx next month. The film, titled “American Trial,” will feature testimony from witnesses who might have appeared had a grand jury opted to indict Pantaleo in the 2014 death.

The director said there will be four witnesses for the prosecution and four witnesses for the defense.

The arrest of Garner for allegedly selling loose cigarettes on a Staten Island street was caught on cellphone video. He can be heard saying, “I can’t breathe!” as at least four officers drag him to the ground, and Pantaleo then puts him in a headlock.

“When you walk into a courtroom, your client is supposed to be presumed innocent. In this case, people who have seen the video have a preconceived notion that Pantaleo is guilty, and that’s something that we intend to tackle in the film,” said Priya Chaudhry, one of the two defense lawyers for Pantaleo in the flick.

Another of the movie’s defense lawyers, Robert Brown, who represented Liang in the 2014 death of Akai Gurley, said he agreed to take part in the project only after being assured that Pantaleo’s side would be given equal treatment.

“Garner cannot be brought back to life,” Messinger said. “But if we make this movie right, perhaps we, as a society, can start making meaningful changes that will prevent future tragedies.”

TRAGEDY: Officer Daniel Pantaleo (left) did not face charges in the 2014 chokehold death of Eric Garner (above), but a film in the works will explore what might have transpired in a trial.