The New York City police officer who placed Eric Garner in a chokehold before his death was untruthful during interviews with investigators following the fatal encounter, a police administrative judge said in an opinion obtained by The New York Times .
Earlier this month, Judge Rosemarie Maldonado recommended that Daniel Pantaleo , one of the officers who attempted to arrest Garner in 2014 for allegedly selling illegal cigarettes in Staten Island, be fired from the NYPD . Maldonado determined that Pantaleo had not deliberately restricted Garners breathing but had used a banned chokehold on the man, whose repeated cry of I cant breathe triggered national outrage and galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement.
Pantaleo was suspended from the department following Maldonados recommendation.
The Times published the judges 46-page opinion in full on Sunday. The document provides deeper insights into the reasons behind Maldonados recommendation that Pantaleo be dismissed.
Officer Daniel Pantaleo was \"untruthful\" when he gave N.Y.P.D. investigators his account of his fatal encounter with Eric Garner, a police administrative judge said in her ruling obtained by The New York Times: https://t.co/pWSkz2gsuM
Ashley Southall 2020 (@AshleyAtTimes) August 18, 2019","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Ashley Southall 2020 ","author_url":"https://twitter.com/AshleyAtTimes","cache_age":86400,"description":"Officer Daniel Pantaleo was \"untruthful\" when he gave N.Y.P.D. investigators his account of his fatal encounter with Eric Garner, a police administrative judge said in her ruling obtained by The New York Times: https://t.co/pWSkz2gsuM Ashley Southall 2020 (@AshleyAtTimes) August 18, 2019\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Ashley Southall 2020 on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/AshleyAtTimes/status/1163219493981753351","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5d5a1d13e4b0d8840ff53006","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/eric-garner-officer-daniel-pantaleo-untruthful-investigation_n_5d5a1d13e4b0d8840ff53006","entryTagsList":"crime-and-justice,eric-garner,new-york-city-police-department,daniel-pantaleo,rosemarie-maldonado","sectionSlug":"us-news","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"crime","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.us-news","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/2a4c0742-1622-4705-8283-38edf8664ffb/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":6},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5d5a1d13e4b0d8840ff53006","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Crime and Justice","slug":"crime-and-justice","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/crime-and-justice","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/crime-and-justice","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/crime-and-justice"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Crime","slug":"crime"},"topic":{"title":"Crime News","slug":"crime-news","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/crime-news"},{"name":"Eric Garner","slug":"eric-garner","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/eric-garner","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/eric-garner","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/eric-garner"},"relegenceId":6377735,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Crime","slug":"crime"},"topic":{"title":"Eric Garner","slug":"eric-garner","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/eric-garner"},{"name":" new york city police department","slug":"new-york-city-police-department","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/new-york-city-police-department","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/new-york-city-police-department","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/new-york-city-police-department"},"relegenceId":3555266,"url":"https://action.news/topic/new-york-city-police-department"},{"name":"daniel pantaleo","slug":"daniel-pantaleo","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/daniel-pantaleo","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/daniel-pantaleo","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/daniel-pantaleo"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/daniel-pantaleo"},{"name":"Rosemarie Maldonado","slug":"rosemarie-maldonado","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/rosemarie-maldonado","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/rosemarie-maldonado","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/rosemarie-maldonado"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/rosemarie-maldonado"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">Officer Daniel Pantaleo was "untruthful" when he gave N.Y.P.D. investigators his account of his fatal encounter with Eric Garner, a police administrative judge said in her ruling obtained by The New York Times: https://t.co/pWSkz2gsuM
Ashley Southall 2020 (@AshleyAtTimes) August 18, 2019
\"I have come to the same conclusion on the instant facts,\" Judge Maldonado said, referring to Officer Pantaleo, who she said \"can no longer be a New York City police officer.\"
Read her decision or our tl;dr or both here: https://t.co/pWSkz2gsuM
"I have come to the same conclusion on the instant facts," Judge Maldonado said, referring to Officer Pantaleo, who she said "can no longer be a New York City police officer."
Ashley Southall 2020 (@AshleyAtTimes) August 18, 2019
Read her decision or our tl;dr or both here: https://t.co/pWSkz2gsuM
Advertisement
The judge said Pantaleo allegedly lied to investigators following Garners death and had recklessly used force against the man. When Pantaleo was asked by investigators to define a chokehold, he replied, You take your two hands and youre choking their throat or if you use your forearm grasped with the other hand and you pull back with your forearm onto the windpipe preventing him from breathing, Maldonado wrote in her opinion, which was addressed to NYPD Commissioner James ONeill.
But when investigators showed the officer a video that revealed how he wrapped his left forearm around Garners neck with his two hands clasped, Pantaleo denied that hed used a chokehold in the encounter.
I found [Pantaleos] uncorroborated hearsay statements explaining his actions to be untruthful, Maldonado wrote.
Advertisement
Maldonado also took issue with the testimonies of Pantaleos witnesses, fellow officers Mark Ramos and Craig Furlani, who told investigators that they could not remember where Pantaleo had placed his arms on Garner during the encounter.
The accounts presented by [Pantaleos] witnesses on this point were also unhelpful or unreliable, Maldonado wrote. In fact, the more central the factual inquiry was, the more vague recollections became.
46-page decision from the judge who recommended Officer Pantaleo be fired from the #NYPD is leaked to the press. pic.twitter.com/QS5s3xAFNf
Jeanine Ramirez (@RamirezJeanine) August 19, 2019","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Jeanine Ramirez","author_url":"https://twitter.com/RamirezJeanine","cache_age":86400,"description":"46-page decision from the judge who recommended Officer Pantaleo be fired from the #NYPD is leaked to the press. pic.twitter.com/QS5s3xAFNf Jeanine Ramirez (@RamirezJeanine) August 19, 2019\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":2048,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ECTNUcHXsAAOoUu.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1529,"title":"Jeanine Ramirez on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/RamirezJeanine/status/1163280360886718464","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5d5a1d13e4b0d8840ff53006","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/eric-garner-officer-daniel-pantaleo-untruthful-investigation_n_5d5a1d13e4b0d8840ff53006","entryTagsList":"crime-and-justice,eric-garner,new-york-city-police-department,daniel-pantaleo,rosemarie-maldonado","sectionSlug":"us-news","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"crime","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.us-news","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/2a4c0742-1622-4705-8283-38edf8664ffb/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":6},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5d5a1d13e4b0d8840ff53006","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Crime and Justice","slug":"crime-and-justice","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/crime-and-justice","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/crime-and-justice","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/crime-and-justice"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Crime","slug":"crime"},"topic":{"title":"Crime News","slug":"crime-news","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/crime-news"},{"name":"Eric Garner","slug":"eric-garner","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/eric-garner","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/eric-garner","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/eric-garner"},"relegenceId":6377735,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Crime","slug":"crime"},"topic":{"title":"Eric Garner","slug":"eric-garner","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/eric-garner"},{"name":" new york city police department","slug":"new-york-city-police-department","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/new-york-city-police-department","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/new-york-city-police-department","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/new-york-city-police-department"},"relegenceId":3555266,"url":"https://action.news/topic/new-york-city-police-department"},{"name":"daniel pantaleo","slug":"daniel-pantaleo","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/daniel-pantaleo","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/daniel-pantaleo","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/daniel-pantaleo"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/daniel-pantaleo"},{"name":"Rosemarie Maldonado","slug":"rosemarie-maldonado","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/rosemarie-maldonado","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/rosemarie-maldonado","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/rosemarie-maldonado"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/rosemarie-maldonado"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">46-page decision from the judge who recommended Officer Pantaleo be fired from the #NYPD is leaked to the press. pic.twitter.com/QS5s3xAFNf
Jeanine Ramirez (@RamirezJeanine) August 19, 2019
ONeill is expected to make a decision about Pantaleos future by the end of the month, the Times reported.
Advertisement
The Justice Department said in July that it would not pursue federal civil rights charges against Pantaleo for Garners death.
The DOJ has failed us, Garners mother, Gwen Carr, told reporters at the time. Five years ago, my son said I cant breathe 11 times. Today we cant breathe because they have let us down.
\"The DOJ has failed us.\"
Eric Garner's mother Gwen Carr speaks following Justice Dept. decision not to charge officer involved in her son's death. Watch live: https://t.co/aqE2Q96B4V
"The DOJ has failed us."
ABC News (@ABC) July 16, 2019
Eric Garner's mother Gwen Carr speaks following Justice Dept. decision not to charge officer involved in her son's death. Watch live: https://t.co/aqE2Q96B4V
Support Free Journalism
Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.
Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
_(720p).jpg)
 OFFICIAL HD MUSIC VIDEO.jpg)
.jpg)
