Police officers in America are being rewarded for killing unarmed Black men. The White police officer who choked Eric Garner, leading to his death, remained out of jail, kept his job and has received a substantial pay raise.
Although he choked an unarmed Black man, officer Daniel Pantaleo continues to see an increase in earnings. According to Politico New York, Pantaleo has already earned $19,996 while working desk duty in 2016. He has a base salary of $78,026 and has earned over $23K in overtime pay. Panatelo has also made $12,853 in bonuses.
Panatela choked Garner until he died on a sidewalk in New York. The incident was captured on a cell phone camera and Garner yelled, “I can’t breathe” before he was choked by Pantaleo in 2014. In December of 2014, a grand jury failed to indict Pantaleo on murder charges. Panatelo is still being investigated by the U.S. Justice Department, but he has been allowed to keep his job and earn a substantial living.
Furthermore, Pantaleo’s disciplinary records have been concealed. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio stopped releasing information on disciplinary cases within the NYPD after it was done for 40 years. His actions have allowed police officers to continue to get away with murder while the citizens of New York aren’t able to view records on the officers who are funded by taxpayers.
It would be hard to find a scenario where a Black man would receive a pay increase after choking and essentially killing an unarmed White person. The aftermath of Garner’s murder and Pantaleo’s pay raise proves, again, why America has deep issues when it comes to race relations.
Garner’s family members are appalled by Pantaleo’s pay raise and the lack of transparency by the mayoral office and NYPD. The NYPD will not discipline Pantaleo for the killing of Garner until the investigation by the U.S. Justice Department has concluded.
