An Avoidable Tragedy: The Death of Eric Garner
The inexplicable decision not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo for unnecessarily causing Eric Garner’s death is incredible (“The Right Call on Pantaleo,” Editorial, July 17).
The oft-seen video of Pantaleo’s arm-aroundthe-neck takedown of Garner left no doubt.
I’ve seen it enough times to know that even after Pantaleo and his fellow officers had Garner down on the ground — “chokehold” or not — he kept his arm around Garner’s neck until he switched to pressing Garner’s head down against the sidewalk.
Not to mention Garner’s repeated pleas of “I can’t breathe” — which unfortunately turned out to be the truth. Richard Siegelman Plainview
The Post editorial does a serious disservice to every police officer in the city by suggesting that it would be “right and proper” for Police Commissioner O’Neill to fire Officer Pantaleo.
O’Neill is required by law and the NYPD’s disciplinary guidelines to consider the same body of evidence that was clearly and compellingly outlined by US Attorney Richard Donoghue. That evidence does not support a penalty of termination.
The political pressure by anti-cop activists, which you apparently believe has “ended [Officer Pantaleo’s] value as an active-duty officer” has no place in a judicial setting and cannot be allowed to enter into the equation.
A decision rendered on those grounds would not only deprive Officer Pantaleo of his legal due process rights — it would alienate and discourage every cop in this city. Patrick J. Lynch President Police Benevolent Association of NYC Queens
Aside from Pantaleo’s alleged chokehold, a team of four officers took Garner down like a steer at a rodeo, then he was held down as if he were a dangerous criminal.
It wasn’t Garner’s obesity or diabetes that caused his death. His pleas that he couldn’t breathe went unheeded by the officers who tackled him, as well as the EMT workers who stood by and did nothing.
In my opinion, all four officers should have been charged with murder, and the EMT workers with gross negligence. Iris Lynn Perry Rego Park
We are a nation of laws. Put any label you want on the Garner incident: Police brutality, racism or discrimination. The simple fact of the matter is if Garner would have complied with the lawful order of arrest, he’d be here today. And the officer and his family would not have gone through five years of hell.
In my 31 years of experience as a law-enforcement officer, every time a subject complied with an officer’s request, neither the subject nor the officer was injured. Thomas Bregenzer Lake Ariel, Pa.