I Can't Breathe: A Killing on Bay
Street ***
Matt Taibbi
This is a NON-fiction
accounting of the death of Eric Garner in 2014, at the hands of
Officer Daniel Pantaleo of the NYPD, Staten Island. It is an
important story to get out to the public, to shed light on Police
brutality that, in one fashion or another, lead to this man's death.
The book contains very
strong character development, background history, very detailed
history of the way police went about doing their job. The book
describes the different theroies, tactics, beliefs and policies that
law enforcement used through the many decades, from the 1960's to
present. The intent of the men who created these theories was to
help create order out of chaos, to deter crime. How those theories
have been applied and abused is another disturbing story. The author
does a great job in his research of this topic.
But, overall, this book is
only about the “bad” people... the criminals and the “bad”
cops.
[It wasn't the point of
the book to tell any POSITIVE aspect, to tell any POSITIVE results or
about the many “good” cops].
The author wrote this book
the way HE wanted it told, the easy way, the Liberal way, while
ignoring the Conservative view that career criminals should not
resist arrest. The conservative belief that police should strive to
create order out of chaos.
I honestly had not heard
of this man's story prior to reading the book. Honestly. After
reading the book, I did my own research.
{Because I felt the book
portrayed a somewhat biased, liberal view, and I wanted MY OWN
research to tell me what the author didn't}
I watched MANY videos,
including the phone video by Ramsey Orta. I read many online
articles concerning Eric Garner. {I also read disturbing articles
about this author while doing my research}
Eric Garner died in Staten
Island, July 2014 after
Officer Daniel Panteleo put him in a “chokehold” for 19-20
seconds while attempting to arrest him. Eric Garner WAS a career
criminal from an early age, a drug dealer, drug addict, and at the
time of his death, selling untaxed cigarettes – which is illegal.
Eric Garner had 30 arrests (assault, resisting arrest, grand larceny,
drug sale) on his record and had served jail/prison time several
times [ according to the book]. Eric Garner WAS
resisting arrest. [the part the mainstream media doesn't want to
tell].
A lot of things obviously
went wrong, were DONE wrong, and this man died as a result. Could
things have been done different and prevented his death? Sure. The
police were obviously harassing a known criminal, looking for what
they thought would be an easy arrest. BUT... just as important >
Eric Garner could have NOT resisted arrest.
The case DID go to trial.
The family WAS awarded $5.9 Million. The police officer was NOT
indicted.
Although the Coroner ruled
Garner's death a Homicide and that the Officer's ACTION (placing him
in a chokehold) along with Garner's medical history of cardiac
problems, asthma, and obesity were contributing factors in his
death.... it further explains that a Coroners legal definition of
ACTION does NOT equal INTENT. {the officer's ACTION was to
physically restrain a known criminal, with a history of resisting,
in order to arrest him. His INTENT was NOT to kill Garner}. The
Coroner found NO damage to Garner's windpipe or neck bones.
Justice was not served.
While I 100% believe the Officer SHOULD have been indicted, on a
lesser charge of Involuntary Manslaughter, he should have served time
in prison AND lost his police license forever due to his many
previous charges of excessive force.
I strongly doubt that the
family of Eric Garner would have accepted ONLY THIS result with NO
$5.9 Million. Justice does NOT equal money, and unfortunately now
days, all people want is money.
My rating is for the book
– despite my newly discovered, quite disturbing information
concerning the author.
During my own research of
Eric Garner, I also stumbled across very disturbing articles about
this author. Ill let you form your own opinion of the author whom
many have called a Misogynist and a Serial Rapist,
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