The truth is that he was NOT committing a crime at the time of choke hold. Period.
That actually would not be the truth.
He wasn't committing a violent crime, or even a serious crime... but yes, he was alleged to be in the act of committing a crime when police officers approached him.
A very minor crime... the selling of loosies... untaxed cigarettes. He resisted arrest, and a tragedy occurred. He was also out on parole at the time of the incident. He had a lengthy history of arrests. Does that mean he should have been killed? Of course not. But when you consider that he was a convict with a history of violence, on parole, and under suspicion of committing illegal acts... added with his size, and now the size of the police response makes a tad bit more sense.
The coroners who testified to the grand jury stated that the pressure placed on his chest, combined with his health issues, is more likely what led to the cardiac arrest that killed him than the hold the officer put on him, which did not render him unconscious, nor did it cause him to be unable to breath, which is the common narrative, but not the actual facts.
The medical examiner ruled it a homicide. Yes, that's true. Most people hear that and instantly assume that means he was murdered. The actual definition doesn't even say that a crime was committed. It just says that an action by an individual helped cause his death. It's up to a jury to decide if a crime was committed.
The officer should not be charged with murder. The facts simply don't support this. Could a lesser charge been brought? Maybe. But as he didn't die from asphyxiation, it would have been hard to convict him. Should interdepartmental discipline be done? I'd argue yes. He didn't follow police procedure. He also didn't kill this man.
The practice of going after low level crimes, the "broken window" policy of policing, as a way to stop high level crimes from occurring is a common practice. It was brought to this department by Commissioner Bratton, as a replacement for the stop and frisk policy, and is all part of deBlasio's platform; Not some big police conspiracy.
This. Was. Not. Ferguson.
It's time for us to get back to the real issues. Want to protest the socioeconomic issues that are holding our poor communities back, and have been for decades?
I'm there with you, arm and arm.
Want to go after the guns, getting them off the streets, attacking the gun lobbies and the hard right and their idiotic arguments in favor of gun rights?
I'm there.
Decriminalization of minor drug offenses?
Sign me up.
You want to protest the sorry state of our schools in poor communities? To offer alternative education to poor families just like well to do families get? (the same kind of schools deBlasio tried to shut down as a campaign promise to the teacher's unions?). You want to fight for more after school programs? Rehabilitation programs for young adults who've been in and out of the justice system, giving them a shot at a real life?
Tell me where to go. I'm there.
Marching up and down the streets, assaulting officers, saying the rank and file police are racists, calling them "KKK" and "murderers"? Ignoring pleas for a pause so that two officers who were gunned down on cold blood can be laid to rest in peace?
Fuck you.