Garner’s Tragic Death: Don’t Blame the Cops

Before anyone runs amok with the medical examiner’s ruling, there are some things to consider going forward (“Taken Out by ‘Killer’ Clutch,” Aug. 2).

Homicide, by definition, is the act of one human killing another human. Proving that it was deliberate or unlawful is another story.

It will be hard to prove that the cops intended to kill Eric Garner. The force they used, while acting lawfully, can also be deemed necessary to affect the arrest of someone resisting. His imposing size will be a factor as well.

The chokehold is a violation of police department rules, not criminal statute. And to many viewers of the event, the onearm hold was seen as leverage to bring him down. The officer’s other arm was under Garner’s right armpit.

Cops also had no way to know Garner’s medical condition. Unless the medical report can show death by strangulation, then you are left with an accidental death brought about by the duress of the arrest itself upon a man with serious health issues. Phil Serpico Queens

Hey, all you criminals out there — try not to resist arrest and take your chances in court. You will probably get a “slap on the wrist” and sent on your merry way. Rich Wolff Hoboken, NJ

I find it extremely disturbing that the New York Police Department is being criticized for detaining suspects by means of using the chokehold method.

Leave it to the bleedingheart liberals to look for any loophole that helps those who terrorize lawabiding citizens.

And they wonder why we are losing the crime battles in our country. Good grief. Tom Ferrier Wilmington, Del.

The only reason Garner is dead is because he weighed more than 300 pounds and resisted arrest. In neighborhoods where it’s obvious that a police presence is unwanted, any cop who sees a crime being committed and gets involved is obviously too stupid to be a cop.

He should walk the other way and then, after the bodies are on the ground, make a report. Let the crime rate in these neighborhoods skyrocket, let the number of murders climb to 5,000 — who cares? Most are thugs killing other thugs, so let it continue, as long as it doesn’t spill over to neighborhoods where the people want police protection. Of course, officials will then demand that the better areas of the city need more crime to make it fair. Steve Becker East Meadow