The death of a father of six after he was put into a chokehold by a New York police officer has stoked racial tensions and drawn comparisons to the case of Rodney King, which sparked riots after he was beaten by officers.
Eric Garner, 43, was seized by five officers after he was stopped on the street for selling untaxed cigarettes.
A video of the incident, which has gone viral, shows Mr Garner pleading “I can’t breathe” as his head is pressed against the pavement with his eyes closed. He died an hour later.
Eric Garner
Two police officers and four paramedics have since been suspended following protests over the weekend and calls for the officer responsible, Daniel Pantaleo, to face punishment.
The seven minute footage of Mr Garner’s death, which took place near Tompkinsville Park on Staten Island, has been watched more than 500,000 times on YouTube.
Mr Garner is heard to say he has “done nothing” and argues with police for trying to arrest him.
Minutes after the dispute four officer pounce upon him and they tussle to the floor, with Mr Mr Pantaleo on Mr Garner’s back with his arms around his neck.
The officers can be heard saying “Something’s wrong with him” but make no attempt to revive him.
When the paramedics arrive they check for a pulse but do little else before loading Mr Garner onto a stretcher and putting him in an ambulance.
NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton has said Mr Pantaleo used a chokehold even though they are banned by the force and has ordered police Internal Affairs officers to investigate. There have been claims Mr Garner was resisting arrest.
His funeral was held yesterday in an emotional service at a Baptist church in Brooklyn, after a Harlem rally last weekend in which civil rights campaigner the Rev Al Sharpton spoke to a crowd which included his widow Esaw, who collapsed in tears. He said: “Even if police procedures don’t kick in, when does your sense of humanity kick in? Have we gotten so cold?”
New York commentator Denis Hamill said the video was “disturbing proof of how far we have not come since Rodney King”.
King was beaten by Los Angeles police officers after a high-speed car chase in 1991. The beating was captured on film and the later acquittals of four officers triggered riots a year later in which 53 people died.
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New York’s mayor Bill de Blasio has delayed a holiday in Italy to also start an investigation. He has pledged to restore relations between police and the black community, who claim “stop and frisk” tactics unfairly target them.
