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To: Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner William J. Bratton

JUSTICE FOR ERIC GARNER

Terminate the police officer, Daniel Pantaleo, who used a banned tactic (the chokehold) to restrain Eric Garner, a man who subsequently died after being subjected to this maneuver.

Why is this important?

The excessive use of force against city-dwellers by the NYPD poses an imminent danger to all people of New York City regardless of sex, color, religion, or ethnicity. Even if Mr. Garner did break the law by selling open cigarettes, this act does not warrant the use of lethal force by police officers.

From 2003 to 2013, an oversight board reviewed nine complaints against police officers who were alleged to use the chokehold against citizens. In all of these cases the Civilian Complaint Review Board recommended the strongest punishment for the officers: an administrative trial, which has the potential for termination. However, in 8 of these cases, the officers were either not disciplined or given the most lenient sentence-a review of the police rules. Ultimately, the police commissioner has the final say in matters such as these.

Eric Garner lost his life, and without the responsible parties being held accountable, the scales of justice will be perverted and shifted in favor of the few at the expense of the many.

Updates

2020-07-22 07:21:31 -0400

50 signatures reached

2014-08-05 17:24:37 -0400

25 signatures reached

2014-07-23 23:31:05 -0400

10 signatures reached