President Obama Comments On Eric Garner Decision

President Barack Obama on Wednesday addressed a grand jury's decision not to indict a New York City police officer in the death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who died after being placed in a chokehold. Watch his comments below:

Black NY congressman speak out on Eric Garner grand jury decision

Black congressman Rep Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Charles Rangel spoke out on the unsurprising decision by a grand jury not to indict the cop that killed Eric Garner. Hear their comments below:

African Americans don't need black leaders to tell us when to be angry.

This is going to be short and sweet.

In the aftermath of the riots in Ferguson MO after the decision by a grand jury not to indict Darren Wilson many conservative/right wing talking heads blamed President Obama, Eric Holder, and Al Sharpton for the violence. In conservative minds those men somehow roused the whole black community to action and violence.

I'm sure all three are amazed that they have such sway over black minds. (I'm sure that President Obama is kicking himself in the ass for not using that power to make African Americans vote in the mid-term elections.)

I was surprised at this because the conservative theory seems to be based on a belief that we as black people don't get mad or angry unless a "black leader" tells us to. They seem to believe they in the deaths of Eric Garner or Michael Brown that we would have just shrugged our shoulders, and continued on with life if Al Sharpton didn't get involved.

Of course this theory ignores the fact that far too many of us (especially black men) have had bad experiences with the police. It ignores the fact that many of us are stopped are harassed by the police because we don't belong somewhere or the cop has a "hunch" about us. The fact that I have never been in trouble, am a former soldier and serve as an elected member of my local school board doesn't mean much when a cop decides I'm "suspicious". I will be stopped, detained, and harassed without so much as "Sorry for the inconvenience sir" when the cop decides that I'm clean. Imagine how that makes you feel about the police, you know the very guys/gals that are supposed to protect us.

Many black men know the tired lie cops tell of there being a B&E ( Breaking & Entering) in the area and that they or their car match the description. We all know that everyone of these BS stops can end up with us dead and the cop who killed us getting off because society holds them to a different standard and gives them a benefit of the doubt it would never give a black man.

So when we hear cases like those of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, or Tamir Rice we get mad, we get mad all on our own!

It's not the Al Sharpton's of the world that make us angry it's the JustUs system in this country that does. Fix that BS system and you wont hear from Al Sharpton again.

George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.com.

Grand jury nears decision on NYPD chokehold death (Eric Garner)

[SOURCE] A New York City grand jury is quietly nearing a decision in a case that has drawn comparisons to the police killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

The panel on Staten Island heard testimony last week from a police officer involved in the chokehold death of Eric Garner. He was believed to be the last witness.

The Staten Island district attorney won't comment on the proceedings that will determine whether the officer will face criminal charges. But an announcement is expected before the end of the year.

Medical Examiner rules Eric Garner's death a homicide

The death of a Staten Island man who collapsed after being placed in an illegal chokehold by a police officer has been ruled a homicide.

Eric Garner died from compression of the neck and chest while being while being physically restrained by police officers, the New York City Medical Examiner said Friday.

Read more here: HOMICIDE: Medical examiner says NYPD chokehold killed Staten Island dad Eric Garner

Disturbing video, NYPD officers choke man to death.

Two NYPD cops ( Officers Daniel Pantaleo & Justin Damico ) have been put on desk duty after one used a choke hold to apprehend a "suspect" leading to the man, Eric Garner's death. Witnesses say all the victim did was break up a fight while police contend he was selling loose cigarettes.

It is worth noting that [SOURCE] Pantaleo has been accused of false arrest and violating police procedures in two lawsuits, court records show. In one, two African-American plaintiffs won $15,000 apiece after claiming they’d been falsely arrested on Staten Island in 2012 and forced to publicly strip so cops could search them. All charges against them were dropped.


RIP to Eric Garner and condolences to his family. Video of the incident is below. Warning, some may find the video disturbing.