Wednesday, August 20, 2014

NYPD Chokehold Death Will Go To Grand Jury, Prosecutor Says : The Two-Way : NPR

NYPD Chokehold Death Will Go To Grand Jury, Prosecutor Says : The Two-Way : NPR: A prosecutor in New York is asking a grand jury to consider charges in the death of Eric Garner, who died last month in police custody after an officer placed him in a chokehold, as NPR's Joel Rose reports.

The 43 year-old Staten Island man died after police attempted to arrest him for selling loose cigarettes. Cell-phone video taken by a bystander shows Garner gasping "I can't breathe" as one officer places him in a chokehold, and several others pin him to the ground. The New York City medical examiner's office ruled the death a homicide.

For weeks, protesters led by the Rev. Al Sharpton have called for criminal charges against the officers involved in Garner's death. Sharpton will lead another protest march to the District Attorney's office on Saturday.