Statement from Marc H. Morial, President & CEO of the National Urban League, on the Grand Jury’s Decision to Not Indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the Chokehold Killing of Eric Garner:
“There are absolutely no words that can describe the miscarriage of justice that has just occurred in America – yet again. There is no rational or feasible explanation that can ever justify the Staten Island grand jury’s decision to not indict the person responsible for Eric Garner’s death – a decision which itself defies common sense. Today’s unfortunate outcome – yet another in a tragic series of killings of unarmed Blacks by police officers in just the past six months – further demonstrates that we need a new approach in this nation to police-community relations, the use of excessive force by law enforcement and police accountability for acts of misconduct.
Eric Garner did not deserve to die. NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo had no reasonable cause to kill him. After repeated review of the facts of this case and what the video clearly shows, what is most ironic is that Eric Garner was being arrested for the misdemeanor of illegally selling cigarettes; yet, the officer who used an illegal chokehold prohibited by the New York Police Department was neither arrested nor indicted. Officer Pantaleo’s actions directly led to the death of an unarmed man who displayed no threatening acts or acts of violence towards him. This cannot continue.
The majority of law enforcement officers do a respectable and admirable job of upholding their pledges to serve and protect the citizens of this nation, and we commend their efforts. But let me be clear. We cannot and will not tolerate officers who take it upon themselves to participate in blatant misconduct, whether excessive force or otherwise. We need a new generation of policing that ensures the safety of our citizens and communities, but does not violate the civil rights of anyone.
We support the efforts of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the U.S. Department of Justice to fully investigate this case and determine whether federal civil rights charges should be brought against Officer Pantaleo. Despite today’s grand jury decision, this is not over – and as with Michael Brown, we will not stop until justice for Eric Garner and his family has been served and the person responsible for his death is held accountable.”
