After Daniel Pantaleo — an NYPD officer sworn to serve and protect New Yorkers — was filmed using a chokehold on Staten Island resident Eric Garner, who later died, new video surfaces of a separate violent arrest in Harlem.
On MSNBC’s “The Last Word” with Lawrence O’Donnell Sherrilyn Ifill discusses NYC’s long history of police brutality and the lack of accountability for the police’s excessive use of force against New York’s communities of color.
Ifill also condemns Commissioner Bratton’s use of the discredited “broken windows” theory of policing that, as Eric Garner’s death demonstrates, too often leads to violent or deadly consequences.
“Lawrence, this is about culture. This is not just about training. This is about whether when you see this man, you value his life as a human being. It’s not just the police officers, it’s the EMT workers. Nobody is looking at him as a human being who needs help and they’re all public servants. And I think for Commissioner Bratton, that’s going to be the issue he has to deal with — not just the training but the culture of policing in this city and the way in which people like Mr. Garner are viewed by police officers.
The tragedy is not only the loss of Mr. Garner’s life but also public servants who are charged with helping. You’re supposed to call the police when you’re in trouble. You’re supposed to call the EMT when you need medical attention, and they all stand there as though Mr. Garner is not a person. I think New Yorkers are just traumatized by witnessing this event.” –Sherrilyn Ifill
