On Saturday, the New York Post reported that Michael DeBonis, a former NYPD spokesman and detective, published an emotional condemnation of the killing of Eric Garner on Instagram.
“We killed Eric Garner,” wrote DeBonis, acknowledging that, “In writing this post I’m fully aware that some of my cop friends may call me a traitor, a hypocrite or even un follow me.”
The arrest of Garner for selling loose cigarettes “was legal, the initial forced [sic] used to stop him from resisting was fine," wrote DeBonis, "but in the end … WE PUNISHED HIM FOR RESISTING ARREST … WE WATCHED HIM DIE … WE DIDN’T EVEN SIT HIM UP AND RENDER HIM BASIC AID.”
"Garner was subdued by former cop Daniel Pantaleo, who grabbed him by the neck from behind in a chokehold. The death was ruled a homicide and sparked dozens of demonstrations across the country over police brutality, and it helped fuel the Black Lives Matter movement," wrote reporter Dean Balsamini. "Pantaleo was never charged with a crime but got fired last August."
