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Eric Garner

From Eric Garner's death to firing of NYPD officer: A timeline of key events

Associated Press

NEW YORK – NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill on Monday announced the firing of the officer who put Eric Garner in a chokehold moments before his 2014 death.

The announcement of Daniel Pantaleo's firing came just weeks after the five-year anniversary of Garner's death.

A timeline of key events:

July 17, 2014: Eric Garner dies in a confrontation with Pantaleo after the officer placed him in what appeared to be a chokehold. Police had suspected Garner of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes on the street on New York City’s Staten Island. The confrontation is caught on amateur video, including Garner’s words “I can’t breathe,” which become a rallying cry among protesters.

On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner died after a physical altercation with New York Police officer Daniel Pantaleo in this commercial area.
Pedestrians stand beside a memorial for Eric Garner on July 22, 2014 in New York.
Esaw Garner, wife of Eric Garner, breaks down in the arms of Rev. Herbert Daughtry, center, and Rev. Al Sharpton, right, during a rally at the National Action Network headquarters for Eric Garner on July 19, 2014, in New York.

Aug. 1, 2014: The city medical examiner’s office rules Garner’s death a homicide caused by neck compressions from a chokehold.

Eric Garner's body lies in a casket during his funeral at Bethel Baptist Church on July 23, 2014 in New York.

Aug. 23, 2014: Over 2,500 people march on Staten Island in protest of Garner’s death.

Rev. Al Sharpton and members of Eric Garners family march towards the site of his death following a service held in his name at the Mount Sinai Center for Community Enrichment on July 19, 2014.

Sept. 19, 2014: Dr. Michael Baden, a forensic pathologist hired by Garner’s family, agrees with findings that a chokehold caused Garner’s death. Patrick Lynch, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, says that Pantaleo used a “seatbelt” maneuver and that the neck compressions were likely caused by lifesaving medical procedures.

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Esaw Garner, wife of Eric Garner, attends a news conference at the National Action Network headquarters in New York on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014 after a grand jury's decision not to indict New York police officer Daniel Pantaleo.

Dec. 3, 2014: A grand jury weighing whether to indict him finds “no reasonable cause” to bring charges against Pantaleo, triggering protests. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says federal authorities will conduct a civil rights investigation.

Benjamin Carr, stepfather of Eric Garner, leaves the district attorney's office after a grand jury's decision not to indict a New York police officer involved Garner's death, Dec. 3, 2014.
Protesters in Washington block 14th Street near Pennsylvania Avenue to protest the Staten Island grand jury's decision not to indict officer Daniel Pantaleo on December 4, 2014.
President Barack Obama pauses as he arrives to speak on Dec. 3, 2014 about a grand jury that cleared a white New York City police officer in the videotaped chokehold death of Eric Garner.

Dec. 20, 2014: A gunman ambushes two New York City Police officers in a patrol car and shoots them to death before killing himself. Authorities say Ismaaiyl Brinsley announced online he was planning to shoot two “pigs” in retaliation for Garner’s death.

July 13, 2015: Garner’s family settles a lawsuit against the city for $5.9 million.

July 11, 2016: Garner’s siblings lend their voices to a song titled “I Can’t Breathe” that was released for the second anniversary of his death.

LeBron James wears a T-shirt reading "I Can't Breathe," during warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets in New York on Dec. 8, 2014. As Garner was held in a chokehold by New York police officer Daniel Pantaleo, he said "I can't breathe." The expression became known among the members of the Black Lives Matter movement.

June 21, 2017: Garner’s family, along with Al Sharpton, meet privately with Justice Department officials. They are told the investigation is still active.

Rev. Al Sharpton gestures as he speaks to the media alongside members of Eric Garner's family after meeting with Department of Justice officials on June 21, 2017, in New York.

April 19, 2018: Federal civil rights prosecutors recommend charging Pantaleo.

July 16, 2018: The New York Police Department says it will allow disciplinary proceedings against Pantaleo, saying it’s run out of patience with federal authorities’ indecision.

A protester holds a sing outside of police headquarters on Dec. 6, 2018, in New York.

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July 21, 2018: Disciplinary proceedings against Pantaleo begin.

May 13, 2019: After many delays, the NYPD disciplinary trial begins for Pantaleo.

New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo leaves his house on May 13, 2019, in Staten Island, N.Y. A long-delayed disciplinary trial began that day for Pantaleo, accused of using a banned chokehold in the July 2014 death of Eric Garner.

May 14, 2019: The NYPD official in charge of training recruits says the restraint technique Pantaleo used on Garner “meets the definition” of a chokehold. The practice was banned in the 1990s.

June 6, 2019: The disciplinary hearing for Pantaleo ends. It can take up to three months before an administrative judge recommends a punishment to the police commissioner.

Activists with Black Lives Matter protest in the Harlem neighborhood of New York on July 16, 2019, in the wake of a decision by federal prosecutors who declined to bring civil rights charges against New York City police Officer Daniel Pantaleo.

July 16, 2019: Federal prosecutors say they will not bring charges against Pantaleo, a decision made one day before the five-year anniversary of Garner’s death.

Gwen Carr, left, mother of Eric Garner, and Garner's sister Ellisha Garner, arrive at the U.S. Attorney's office, in the Brooklyn borough of New York on July 16, 2019. Federal prosecutors won't bring civil rights charges against New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo.

August 19, 2019: NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill announced the department's decision to fire Pantaleo, more than five years after Garner's death. Pantaleo will not receive pension. Later in the day, Police union President Patrick Lynch held a press conference to express his anger with the department's decision. Lynch described Pantaleo as an "exemplary" officer.

New York Police Department Commissioner James P. O'Neill speaks during a news conference at NYPD headquarters Aug. 19, 2019. After five years of investigations and protests, O'Neill said he fired Officer Daniel Pantaleo.
Eric Garner's daughter Emerald Garner attends a press conference with Rev. Al Sharpton on August 19, 2019 in New York City.
Pat Lynch, president of the NYC Police Benevolent Association, speaks during a press conference after the announcement of the termination of officer Daniel Pantaleo at PBA headquarters on August 19, 2019 in New York City.

Contributing: Jay Cannon and Emily Johnson, USA TODAY

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