Remember the case of Eric Garner?
It had been reported that NYPD cop Daniel Pantaleo would not be charged or cleared in the death of Eric Garner before Attorney General Loretta Lynch leaves office, leaving the matter to the Trump administration — which may not be inclined to proceed in the case.
Donald Trump’s expected attorney general, Jeff Sessions, is not likely to press charges against Pantaleo due to Sessions’ public stance on civil-rights cases and opposition to hate-crimes laws.
Well, fast forward to today and we get the news that a federal grand jury is hearing the case:
A federal grand jury in Brooklyn is hearing evidence in the racially charged police killing of Eric Garner on Staten Island in 2014 — as prosecutors look to get an indictment before Donald Trump becomes president Friday, The Post has learned.
Prosecutors from Washington, DC, are presenting the case to the panel, as they seek civil rights charges against white officer Daniel Pantaleo for using a chokehold barred by the NYPD on the black suspect, sources said.
Officers who were present the day of Garner’s death in July 2014 have testified, the sources said.
Pantaleo and other officers were attempting to arrest Garner for selling loose cigarettes. His death and final words, “I can’t breathe,” became a rallying cry for civil rights movements led by Black Lives Matter.
But a Staten Island grand jury declined to bring criminal charges four months later.
Read more: NYP