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Hours after an administrative judge recommended the New York Police Department fire officer Daniel Pantaleo, a white officer accused of choking Eric Garner in 2014, the NYPD decided to suspend Pantaleo, reports AP.
The big picture: This comes just 2 weeks after the Department of Justice decided not to pursue federal charges against Pantaleo.
- The department says a suspension is a "standard move" in disciplinary cases when termination is recommended, per AP.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio received backlash this week during the 2020 Democratic primary debates in Detroit as protestors called for him to fire Pantaleo, reports the New York Times.
The backdrop: Pantaleo was accused of putting a chokehold on Garner after stopping him on a Staten Island street for allegedly selling loose cigarettes, per the New York Times. Pantaleo had been on desk duty since the incident.
- A grand jury cleared Pantaleo of state charges in 2014, according to NBC New York.
- Garner's family received a $5.9 million settlement from the city of New York in 2015, MSNBC reported.