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New York City Policeman Cleared In Choke-Hold Death Of NYC Man

December 3, 2014

New York Post reports that a grand jury in Staten Island, New York has cleared a New York Police Department (NYPD) policeman for the death of Eric Garner, an African-American male who was found by police to be peddling loose cigarettes in public.

New York Post reports that a grand jury in Staten Island, New York has cleared a New York Police Department (NYPD) policeman for the death of Eric Garner, an African-American male who was found by police to be peddling loose cigarettes in public.

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In July, NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo was seen on video camera placing Eric Garner in a choke-hold position whilst other officers restrained him to the ground with Garner eventually dying of suffocation-related complications.

On Wednesday, the grand jury issued a ‘no-bill’ decision whilst also dismissing any potential charges against the policeman.

Today’s decision will be greeted with disbelief by many observers in the rights community as Garner’s death was widely regarded as the poster case for police brutality in low-income neighborhood policing in New York City.

There is expected to be stepped-up police presence throughout the day in New York City as authorities anticipate public backlash as the grand jury's decision comes on the heels of another controversial ruling a week ago when police officer Darren Wilson was cleared of wrong-doing in the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson Missouri.[story_link align="left"]36308[/story_link]