New York City Police Commissioner James O’Neill announced that the department has fired officer Daniel Pantaleo. The firing comes five years after he was responsible for the death of Eric Garner while trying to apprehend him.
In 2014, Pantaleo, 34, tried to apprehend Garner for allegedly selling “loose” cigarettes but the man refused. After a brief scuffle, the officer opted to put Garner in a chokehold, a move that has been prohibited by the police force since 1993.
Garner told the officers he couldn’t breathe nearly a dozen times in a now-viral video but died nonetheless.
O’Neill made the announcement during a press conference Monday.
“Therefore, I agree with the deputy commissioner of trials legal findings and recommendations and it is clear that Daniel Pantaleo can no longer effectively serve as a New York City police officer,” he said.
“In carrying out the court’s verdict in this case, I take no pleasure. I know many will disagree with this decision and that is their right,” O’Neill added. “There are absolutely no winners here. Not the Garner family, not the community at large and certainly not the courageous men and women of the police department who put their own lives on the line every single day in service and to the people of this great city.”
Since Garner’s death, Pantaleo has been placed on desk duty. The Justice Department declined to charge the officer last month. An NYPD judge recommended Pantaelo’s firing earlier this month, and that led to the officer’s suspension. The judge’s non-binding recommendation led to O’Neill making a final decision on the officer’s fate.
