Report: Officer Told Garner Grand Jury That It Wasn’t A Chokehold, It Was A Wrestling Move

According to The New York Times , Officer Daniel Pantaleo told the grand jury that he never intended to put Eric Garner in a chokehold.

The report is second-hand, as it’s related by Pantaleo’s lawyer, Stuart London.

“He wanted to get across to the grand jury that it was never his intention to injure or harm anyone,” London said. “He was really just describing how he was attempting to arrest someone.”

According to the New York City medical examiner, Garner died because of a chokehold as well as compression to his chest. The death was ruled a homicide.

Pantaleo testified before the grand jury on Nov. 21. He said that when he attempted to subdue Garner, he was using a tactic that was taught to him at the Police Academy. It was a maneuver that involved hooking his arm underneath one of the suspect’s arms while wrapping the other around his torso. According to London, the move is intended to “tip the person so they lose their balance and go to the ground” and is sometimes employed in wrestling.

However, in the ensuing struggle, one of Pantaleo’s arms moved around Garner’s neck. The officer told the grand jury that he was fearful as he found himself stuck between a storefront window and a 350 pound man.

“He testified that the glass buckled while Garner was up against him and he was against the glass,” London said. “He was concerned that both he and Garner would go through that glass.”

Both men can be seen falling to the ground in the video that has gone viral on the Internet. However, Pantaleo’s arm remained around Garner’s neck at that point. The officer said that he maintained the hold because, according to London, he wanted to make sure that Garner was not injured by other officers who might be trying to assist and he wanted to prevent Garner from attacking anyone else.

Pantaleo acknowledged that he heard Garner say that he couldn’t breathe. He told the grand jury he tried to disengage at that moment, but he also said that if Garner could speak, then he could breathe.

The officer’s testimony apparently moved the grand jury, as it returned a “no bill” result on Wednesday. meaning that Pantaleo will not face charges for a crime related to Garner’s death.

[Image credit: Dave Bledsoe]

Report: Officer Told Garner Grand Jury That It Wasn’t A Chokehold, It Was A Wrestling Move