New York City panel to decide on Eric Garner’s death by police

A panel in New York City will decide on another racially charged case involving a white police officer who killed an African-American man amid protests over Michael Brown’s grand jury decision.

The 43-year-old Eric Garner, who fathered six children, died in mid-July after being placed in a chokehold by New York Police Department Officer Daniel Pantaleo and a video showed Garner saying, “I can’t breathe!”

The grand jury began investigating the victim’s death in September and last week it listened to Pantaleo seen on the amateur video showing him wrapping his arm around Garner’s neck.

Pantaleo and some other officers stopped the poor man on suspicion of selling untaxed cigarettes.

With a New York medical examiner ruling the death a homicide and the video, the grand jury should have compelling evidence to indict the officer, said Gwen Carr, Garner’s mother.

“You’d have to be blind to not see what happened,” Carr said. “I can’t see why it should take so long to reach a decision… The wait is making me very anxious, of course. But there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Outspoken civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton announced Saturday his official “countdown” to Staten Island grand jury decision on Garner’s death.

“I want people to know that it’s not just Ferguson, it’s right here and we are going to watch this grand jury,” Sharpton stated.

So far, Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan, who has control over the timing of decision and an announcement, has refused to comment.

Massive protests have been held in cities across the United States in the immediate aftermath of the acquittal of Darren Wilson who fatally shot 18-year-old Brown on August 9.