Man’s Death After Chokehold Raises Old Issue for the Police
Eric Garner, 43, about to be arrested on charges of illegally selling cigarettes, was arguing with the police. When an officer tried to handcuff him, the he pulled free. The officer immediately threw his arm around his neck and pulled him to the ground, holding him in what appears, in a video, to be a chokehold. Eric Garner can be heard saying “I can’t breathe” over and over again as other officers swarm about. Now, his death is being investigated by the police and prosecutors. At the center of the inquiry is the officer’s use of a chokehold (“any pressure to the throat or windpipe, which may prevent or hinder breathing or reduce intake of air”) — a dangerous maneuver that was banned by the New York Police Department more than 20 years ago but that the department cannot seem to be rid of.