Reaction is coming in from all ends to the Staten Island grand jury decision not to indict police officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner while in police custody.
President Barack Obama has said that there needs to be equal justice for all.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said just a few moments ago - 'This is a national problem that has existed for centuries'. De Blasio also mentioned his son Dante several times during his speech from near where the Eric Garner death took place. The mayor asked for calm, and Eric would not have wanted violence. Protest, but do it peacefully.
STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ
“I am incredibly saddened and shocked that a grand jury on Staten Island has failed to indict Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner. The system is broken. Officer Pantaleo’s deadly encounter was caught clearly on videotape, and yet Eric Garner and his family will not know the justice of a jury trial. This is a travesty. I hope that a federal investigation will be forthcoming.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the Garner family, and I wish them peace in their most difficult hour. This is why we protest: to fight injustice. Whether Amadou Diallo or Eric Bell or now Eric Garner, we protest to stand up against a justice system that so often seems to fail men and women of color. We can no longer allow that to stand.
With that said, this is not the time for violence. I urge the people of this city to fight their battles through continued protest and activism, and not to meet this outrage with more violence,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
Statement from Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda
– “I am deeply disappointed by the verdict reached by the Grand Jury regarding the Eric Garner case. What I saw captured on video was a clear demonstration of excessive force. My prayers go out to the Garner Family during this difficult time. With tensions running high, I hope that any subsequent protests or police actions in response are peaceful and that interactions on both sides remain civil. It is important to remember that the actions of this officer do not represent the department as a whole.”
Minority Caucus Issues Statement on Disappointing Finding of Grand Jury
The New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus is releasing the following statement on the Grand Jury decision not to indict the police officer in the choke hold death of Staten Island resident Eric Garner.
“In the eyes of millions of our fellow Americans, today is another day in the disappointing history of a justice system that continues to fail to hold rouge police officers responsible for the excessive use of deadly force on unarmed civilians. We strongly disagree with the non-indictment of the police officer who caused the death of Mr. Eric Garner and see this decision as the impetus to look for public policy solution to a system that allows local district attorneys to investigate crimes and civil rights violations committed by their co-workers in the criminal justice system.
It is now clear to us that every case of police brutality and use of excessive force on unarmed civilians must be investigated by a special prosecutor with no ties to the community or residents were the incident occurred. Only through an independent and transparent investigation of these crimes will communities now so heavily impacted by such actions become more trusting of the police forces empowered to protect them.
STATEMENT OF COMPTROLLER SCOTT M. STRINGER
If Eric Garner’s tragic death teaches us anything, it’s that we as Americans need to heal the frayed relationship between our police and the neighborhoods they serve—whether it’s in Ferguson, Missouri or Staten Island. We must build a society where all people are treated fairly and equally under the law, regardless of their race. My heart goes out to Mr. Garner’s family, and I call on all New Yorkers who wish to protest the Grand Jury’s decision to respect his family’s wishes and do so in a peaceful, non-violent manner. -
If Eric Garner’s tragic death teaches us anything, it’s that we as Americans need to heal the frayed relationship between our police and the neighborhoods they serve—whether it’s in Ferguson, Missouri or Staten Island. We must build a society where all people are treated fairly and equally under the law, regardless of their race. My heart goes out to Mr. Garner’s family, and I call on all New Yorkers who wish to protest the Grand Jury’s decision to respect his family’s wishes and do so in a peaceful, non-violent manner. -
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