man dies after NYPD cop puts him in chokehold

[Thebobo]

Poor man is screaming I cant breath I cant breath and then dies.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/staten-island-man-dies-puts-choke-hold-article-1.1871486#

 

[Oldgamer]

They had a news report on this, and this man who died had just tried to break up a fight. He hadn't done anything and tried to tell the cops that. He was standing for several minutes explaining that to them, and then suddenly in the video one of the cops jumps out at him and tried to grab him and it scared him and he jumped back and thats when they all converged on him. In the video you hear him saying he can't breathe and begging. Then suddenly he goes quiet but they are still on top of him. I will still never understand why the cops feel the need to be so aggressive like this. Why not just talk with the guy and de-escalate the situation. In the video all the do is escalate the situation and flat out kill this guy. This becomes so common place now.

I read in another news article that you are 8x more like to be killed by a cop than you are to be robbed or murdered by a regular thug. I also read that every 98 minutes someones pet is shot by a cop in this country also. Yet our crime rate is the lowest it has ever been in this country.

 

[Jaskalas]

I will still never understand why the cops feel the need to be so aggressive like this. Why not just talk with the guy and de-escalate the situation. In the video all the do is escalate the situation and flat out kill this guy. This becomes so common place now.

That is exactly why laws need to change, to directly address this point.

 

[tweaker2]

From the pics I saw, the cop doing the choke hold is doing it absolutely the wrong way. Pressure is supposed to be applied to the side of the neck and not the front, as pictured.

IMO, what I was looking at was actually a death grip on the guy.

edit - For clarification, the choke hold is supposed to restrict the flow of blood to the brain rather than stopping air to the lungs which is what I assumed happened.

 

[alzan]

Frickin' sad. Choke-hold and 5 to 1 odds were completely overboard and unnecessary. The fact that there were multiple eyewitnesses recording vid might be the only thing that keeps this from being swept under the blue carpet of the NYPD.

But considering it's being investigated by IA I'm not confident in the outcome.

 

[Genx87]

Im sure they will determine these bozo cops followed procedure and clear them of any wrong doing.

 

[realibrad]

Frickin' sad. Choke-hold and 5 to 1 odds were completely overboard and unnecessary. The fact that there were multiple eyewitnesses recording vid might be the only thing that keeps this from being swept under the blue carpet of the NYPD.

But considering it's being investigated by IA I'm not confident in the outcome.

I only ask because I dont know, but would something like this be investigated by anyone other than IA first?

 

[Pantoot]

suddenly in the video one of the cops jumps out at him and tried to grab him and it scared him and he jumped back and thats when they all converged on him. In the video you hear him saying he can't breathe and begging. .

That is exactly why laws need to change, to directly address this point.

Sadly, the law that will likely see changed will make it so we won't be able to make or release videos...

 

[michal1980]

nyc now employees a bunch of judge dredd types

 

[Shyatic]

Should be charged with manslaughter, all of them.

If you are a cop, you are supposed to be more trained than others in these types of things, including when to use your weapon.

 

[alzan]

I only ask because I dont know, but would something like this be investigated by anyone other than IA first?

AFAIK all LEO-involved deaths get investigated first by the departments IA division; if no IA then the state's highway patrol.

 

[Oldgamer]

The chances are very slim that these cops will be held accountable. I can guarantee you that all will happen is a slap on the wrist and business as usual. This is why so many Americans are losing faith rapidly in Police departments across this country.

 

[KB]

Yet our crime rate is the lowest it has ever been in this country.

Looks like we finally know why the crime rate is so low. Because if its done by a cop then its called a procedure, not a crime.

Did none of them carry a tazer or pepper spray?

 

[tweaker2]

The chances are very slim that these cops will be held accountable. I can guarantee you that all will happen is a slap on the wrist and business as usual. This is why so many Americans are losing faith rapidly in Police departments across this country.

From reviewing the video, it looks like the Police Dept.'s best defense at the moment is that it was an accidental death due in most part to the victim's refusal to cooperate and the victim's health condition at that time.

However, I think if they find that the victim died of asphyxiation from a crushed larynx which, from the pics and video looks like it easily could have, someone from the PD is going to have to take one for the crew.

 

[Oldgamer]

Looks like we finally know why the crime rate is so low. Because if its done by a cop then its called a procedure, not a crime.

Did none of them carry a tazer or pepper spray?

The guy wasn't violent to being with! He was trying to talk calmly with the police and explain what happened.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Cops just as honest at the start as the rest of you with more opportunity and less fear of being caught and held responsible for a crime. Need I mention buddies willing to lie and cover for them? Power corrupts with no one guarding the guards.

I may take that first comment back as joining the force may just be the actions of a bully on a power trip.

 

[Bird222]

I have no doubt the guy is dead but how do you scream when you can't breathe?

 

[realibrad]

From the article I read, it looks like the cops thought he was selling tax free cigarettes. They accused him of such, and then attempted to arrest him without cause. The cops cannot arrest you without cause, so him resisting would be justified I assume. Its not like he hit a cop, he just said no.

 

[PliotronX]

I have no doubt the guy is dead but how do you scream when you can't breathe?

The air can escape, but he was fairly overweight so likely had labored breathing to begin with. His diaphragm has to overcome a lot more pressure than your average sized man.

Those cops were probably threatened by his size. Being 6'9", I can understand how people are threatened just by existing. Body language is also important. I watched the video on mute and noticed that he resisted being handcuffed. It doesn't matter if you are completely innocent, never fight the cuffs is rule #1. The cops wanted to feel safer with his hands bound. Their fear resulted in a completely unfounded death.

 

[z1ggy]

What a bunch of trash those cops are. If this is really true, that the man killed by the police was truly innocent in all of this, the family should get the killer's head on a freakin' platter.

Obviously that's a metaphor, but the cop in this case should be tried for murder and go away for life. Guy was basically begging for his life. Im guessing the cop was just dying to try out the new choke hold he learned by watching Youtube.

 

[Sonikku]

That's one man who won't be suing for millions.

 

[Kadarin]

"following proper established procedure"

Yes. To protect and serve... themselves.

 

[Jaepheth]

Why can't people just Do the Right Thing

 

[zanejohnson]

wow the media just made us watch a snuff film.

 

[Matt1970]

It doesn't matter if you are completely innocent, never fight the cuffs is rule #1. The cops wanted to feel safer with his hands bound. Their fear resulted in a completely unfounded death.

You would think people would get that. How many times have you ever seen cops stop trying to arrest someone just because they don't want to get arrested. You will always get you day in court but fighting with the cops just makes it worse. You may be found totally innocent of all the charges the cop was initially arresting you for but now you have a charge that will stick and that is resisting arrest.