Ten years ago, the death of Eric Garner at the hands of NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo on Staten Island rocked the city and shook up City Hall.

Garner died after being placed in a fatal chokehold, an incident recorded by a cell phone camera. In the aftermath, there were calls for more NYPD accountability, calls that then-Mayor Bill de Blasio tried to answer despite only having been in office for a few months.

What You Need To Know

  • Eric Garner died on July 17, 2014 after being placed in a fatal chokehold by police officer Daniel Pantaleo

  • Calls quickly rose for the arrest and firing of Pantaleo in the aftermath of Garner's death

  • Garner's family believes his death pushed City Hall to examine police accountability in the city

One month after Garner’s death, de Blasio brought together the police commissioner, faith leaders and civil rights activists for a press conference to discuss the case, just before a large march on Staten Island.

During his first run for mayor, de Blasio made repairing police-community relations a signature issue of his campaign. Eric Garner’s death became a high-profile test of the new mayor’s commitment.

“Bill de Blasio was shocked, but there were certain things he couldn’t get done in terms of the criminal justice system,” Rev. Al Sharpton said.

Despite immense pressure, from the streets to City Hall, in December 2014 a Staten Island grand jury reviewed the evidence and decided not to indict Pantaleo on criminal charges.

Sharpton believes “the politics of Staten Island did not want to prosecute the police.” In 2019, federal prosecutors also declined to pursue a case against Pantaleo.

Fred Davie, the former chair of the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, believes the “CCRB was sort of the last opportunity for any justice for the Garner family.”

An investigation by the CCRB led to a disciplinary trial at 1 Police Plaza for Officer Pantaleo.

“It was clear to us at least one of the charges in this case should be excessive force, and so that’s the charge that we made,” Davie said. “The judge agreed with us that Officer Pantaleo was guilty of excessive force.”

In 2019, Pantaleo was fired from the NYPD.

Ten years after Garner’s death, Sharpton believes, when it comes to improving police accountability and transparency in New York, “I think that it’s a little better but it’s not nearly enough.”