No charges will be filed against a New York City police officer for the chokehold death of Eric Garner, a grand jury decided Wednesday according to the New York Post.
Garner's death during a July 17 arrest attempt on Staten Island, for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes, sparked outrage as another example of what activists called police brutality against unarmed African-Americans.
Sources told the New York Post the 23-panel grand jury voted a "no-bill" and dismissed any potential charges against officer Daniel Pantaleo, the nature of which are not immediately clear. At least 12 members of a grand jury must agree for charges to be filed, according to state law.
The panel was convened in September to consider charges against the officer who was caught on a cellphone video putting the 43-year-old man in a chokehold on the ground while he was heard screaming "I can't breathe." Chokeholds are banned under NYPD policy.
Garner, a father of six, was rendered unconscious and pronounced dead later that day. A medical examiner ruled his death a homicide caused by "compression of neck (choke hold), compression of chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police," according to CNN.
Garner's death was followed by peaceful protests and marches in New York City calling for justice for the death of an unarmed black man by a white police officer.
Less than a month later, the police shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, another unarmed black man, in Ferguson, Missouri, rocked the nation. But unlike the New York demonstrations that were relatively peaceful, Ferguson erupted with weeks of rioting and clashes between law enforcement and protesters, many of whom were from out of town.
Wednesday's decision comes on the heels of a separate grand jury's decision not to file criminal charges against Ferguson officer Darren Wilson, who fatally shot Brown after a confrontation on Aug. 9.
In a story published hours before Wednesday's decision, Garner's widow, Esaw Garner, told the New York Daily News she was anxiously waiting for the results.
"I'm just hoping that we get the right decision, so we can get justice for him, and his death will not be in vain" Esaw Garner, 46, told the newspaper.
The Garner family plans on filing a $75 million wrongful death lawsuit against New York City, the NY Post reported. They are also suing for civil rights violations and pre-death pain and suffering.
