Medical Examiner Rules Eric Garner’s Death A Homicide

A New York medical examiner has concluded what many suspected after watching video of Eric Garner’s fatal police encounter: The Staten Island man died as the result of an illegal police chokehold. NBC’s New York affiliate has the story:

The city medical examiner has ruled the death of Eric Garner, the 43-year-old father whose death in police custody sparked national outrage, a homicide, saying a chokehold killed him.

The medical examiner said compression of the neck and chest, along with his positioning on the ground while being restrained by police, caused his death.

Garner’s acute and chronic bronchial asthma, obesity and hypertensive cardiovascular disease were contributing factors, the medical examiner determined.

Garner’s family members, along with the Rev. Al Sharpton, met with federal prosecutors last month to press for an investigation into his death. Sharpton said police violated his civil rights while arresting him for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes, and that led to his death.