Will it ever be safe to be an ethnic minority in a big US city or are we doomed to senseless police brutality for decades to come?
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Eric Garner, a 350-pound African American, died of a police chokehold in Staten Island, NY when arrested for allegedly selling cigarettes illegally. When Mr. Garner argued and pulled free while the officer tried to handcuff him, the officer put his arm around the Mr. Garner’s neck and pulled him to the ground in a chokehold (NYPD banned this dangerous technique over 20 years ago, but it seems still engrained in the NYC police force toolbox, as well as commonly used). The whole incident was filmed by a bystander and Eric Garner was heard saying, “I can’t breathe” numerous times. Although Mr. Gardner had the reputation on being “a gentle giant,” the police took this drastic action, possibly in reaction to his large size.
In a press conference Mayor de Blasio indicated that “everyone’s rights must be observed including those of the police,” and the NYC police commissioner William Bratton indicated that “race was not a factor here.”
One has to wonder if a Wall Street white stockbroker would have received the same or remotely similar treatment? And after decades of a racist NYPD “stop and frisk” policy this Mayor ran against, are we ever going to see progress and an evolved/reasonable police department? Thoughts?
Photo: Ειδήσεις Ηπείρου /Flicker
The Medical Examiner determined that Eric Garner’s death was a homicide. Must modify Police use of deadly force and enforce rational procedures to prevent these kind of tragedies.
Tom I agree completely. Apparently he was known to the police and they likely knew he was not well (his size alone would be a clue). I have no problem with police enforcing the laws of their jurisdiction (as silly as these cigaret law is), but discretion and restraint is called for here. A life was lost for nothing.
When I looked on the internet to see the video, I ran across pictures of Eric’s funeral and what did I see, Al Sharpton, Al Sharpton and Al Sharpton BUT there was a couple of photos of the actual funeral.
That being said, What struck me the most was the lack of care for Eric’s medical condition. It’s one thing to use excessive force, it’s another to disregard his medical needs.
Trying again: Tsach, you may disagree with the assertion that a large, powerful white guy who’s resisting would be treated differently. That would require, by definition, the cops giving him an extra opportunity to hurt them. You can’t say you can’t breathe if you can’t breathe. IMO, once the autopsy is done, the cause of death will be something else. Ruptured aortal aneurysm or something. Wouldn’t have happened without the confrontation, but not a matter of being choked to death. I’m sure Garner would have preferred to have a regular job, not hustling illegal cigarettes, but the laws regarding employment… Read more »
An older heavy set person is also more likely to have issues with their carotid arteries……and violent compression of them is quite capable of causing plaques in the arteries to rupture……leading to heart attack, stroke, kidney problems.
I think it’s a combination of his gender and his race (many more men of color are victims of police brutality than white men). How ever, let’s not forget the African American Grandmother beaten by an LA cop http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2681930/California-Highway-Patrol-promises-investigation-trooper-taped-brutally-beating-great-grandmother-broad-daylight.html
And even with your example here its still a matter of many more men of color being victims of police brutality than women of color).
Sorry but you are focusing more on the wrong thing. His gender is more pertinent to the way he was treated than his race. This doesn’t happen often to women of color.
think again
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2708955/NYPD-officer-pictured-putting-seven-months-pregnant-woman-chokehold-illegally-grilling-outside-apartment.html
A few outliers do not disprove the general case. It is almost always MEN of color who are brutalized, racially/gender profiled, and shot by the police with dozens of bullets tearing through their bodies!!!
Amy, you are completely right… gender is the issue here. We know that the vast majority of those beat up by the cops are men, regardless of a few outliers here and there, as noted by Tsach.
I do find it disturbing that even when a gender issue is right in our face, we tend to only view it through the lens of race… at least if it is men who are negatively affected.
I watched the video and did not see Mr. Garner resisting. As soon as they had him on the ground and he was crying “I can’t breathe they should have let go of his neck. It looked like there were 6 or 7 cops there and, again, he was not resisting. I disagree that they would have continued the chokehold if it was a 350 pound white guy on wall street. I agree that putting a law on the books about selling cigarets is silly, however, acting on it and the level of force used was police discretion, and that… Read more »
The racistt stop and frisk program was associated with much lower rates of violent crime. Pick one. The law about selling untaxed cigarettes is silly. The city must protect its revenue, I guess they think, or the state must, but the point is this is not something that has to do with quality of life, crime, So when Garner was arrested, he was doing something illegal. If you don’t like the laws, don’t elect such clowns as make such laws. Then we have the takedown. In the three pictures provided, the cop behind Garner does not have his right hand… Read more »