© STAN HONDA via Getty ImagesDemonstrators rally against police brutality in memory of Eric Garner on Staten Island. A new poll shows most New Yorkers think criminal charges should be brought against the police officer who put Garner in the chokehold that led to his death.
A majority of New Yorkers think criminal charges should be brought against police officer Daniel Pantaleo, the cop most directly involved in last month's death of Eric Garner on Staten Island, a new poll shows.
According to a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday, 64 percent of New York City voters would support brining charges against Pantaleo, while only 19 percent would oppose charges. When the numbers are broken down by race, 83 percent of black voters approve of charges being brought against Pantaleo, along with 50 percent of white voters.
Similarly, 90 percent of black voters polled think there is "no excuse" for the way officers acted when arresting Garner, while 50 percent of white voters feel the same.
Garner, a black 43-year-old father of six and grandfather of two, died on July 17 after Pantaleo put him into a
banned chokehold during an arrest for selling untaxed cigarettes in the Tompkinsville section of Staten Island. A
viral video of the incident shows Garner, who suffered from asthma, screaming "I can't breathe" numerous times before his body goes limp. A medical examiner later
ruled his death a homicide.
Garner's death has once again brought the relationship between the NYPD and the city's minority communities into focus. Wednesday's poll shows that 63 percent of voters think cops treat black New Yorkers tougher than they do white New Yorkers. When the numbers are broken down by race, 83 percent of black voters said cops were tougher on blacks, while 50 percent of white voters agreed.
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