Killer Cops Never Have To Pay!

Are you still shocked that the officer that killed Eric Garner was not charged? Well then you’ll be thrilled to hear that he wasn’t charged a cent in damages either.

Eric Garner’s family has filed a $75 million civil claim against the city of New York.These claims include wrongful death, assault, pain and suffering, and negligent hiring and training by the NYPD. These were filed after Garner was left dead after NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo put him in a chokehold. What makes this case different than Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown is that footage of the incident was readily available, which is why people were shocked to see Pantaleo walk free.

If the Garner family settles with the city, it is likely that Pantaleo will not be paying any of it. That obligation will go to the taxpayers, and it wouldn't be the first time. According to a recent Mother Jones article by Jaeah Lee,

"Between 2006 and 2011, New York City paid out $348 million in settlements or judgments in cases pertaining to civil rights violations by police, according to a UCLA study published in June 2014. Those nearly 7,000 misconduct cases included allegations of excessive use of force, sexual assault, unreasonable searches, and false arrests. More than 99 percent of the payouts came from the city's municipal budget, which has a line item dedicated to settlements and judgments each year. (The city did require police to pay a tiny fraction of the total damages, with officers personally contributing in less than 1 percent of the cases for a total of $114,000.)"

So not only does Officer Pantaleo get off free, but now we have to pick up the bill? Does that sound like justice to you? Sound off to Jesse at Ora.tv/OffTheGrid/AskJesse.

-Saher K.

OTG Team

Watch this episode of #Off The Grid now to learn more about Police Brutality:

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