The same protest chants that broke out on the presidential debate stage in Detroit on Wednesday followed Mayor Bill de Blasio to the Blue Room of City Hall on Friday after an NYPD departmental judge said NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo should be fired from the force.
"Fire Pantaleo!" some protesters yelled at de Blasio during his news conference after the news of the judge's recommendation broke.
The judge's decision comes after weeks of anticipation, following years of delays and a decision last month by the Justice Department to not bring federal civil rights charges against Pantaleo, who placed Eric Garner in a chokehold as he attempted to arrest him on a Staten Island street in the summer of 2014.
Despite the judge's recommendation, de Blasio continues to say he will not intervene in the final decision.
Question: Why aren't you saying what your personal opinion is?
De Blasio: I believe my role is to respect this process.
The mayor has maintained that he does not have the legal authority to fire Pantaleo. He blames the Department of Justice for not charging the officer. Ultimately, Police Commissioner James O'Neill will determine Pantaleo's fate.
"Until today, the Garner family has been failed by this entire process. What I am talking about today is a fair and impartial process has occurred. That's all I had to say," de Blasio said.
President Donald Trump, who has criticized de Blasio's public safety record despite historic crime lows, was unusually muted when asked about the judge's recommendation.
"It's a very sad situation. It really is heartbreaking. But that's in a process right now, so I'm not going to be getting involved," Trump said.
The death of Eric Garner marked a turning point in the de Blasio administration. His last words, "I can't breathe," became the rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement across the nation. It also opened a gulf between de Blasio and the police officers' union, its leader a constant thorn in de Blasio's side.
"You don't have to talk to anyone; you're talking to the cameras! You talked to the nation the other day, and you said justice would be served for that family! You sent your message to the judge advocate!" Patrick Lynch, the president of the Police Benevolent Association union for uniformed officers, said about de Blasio while speaking to reporters following the judge's recommendation.
De Blasio might have his sights on the White House, but his relationship with the police department and the union will be tested at home over the coming weeks.
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