On January 31, Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch issued the following statement regarding preliminary hearings in the disciplinary case against P.O. Daniel Pantaleo.
“Today, lawyers on both sides of the disciplinary case submitted witness lists and argued legal points for a trial that simply should not be happening. The basic facts of this case are that the officers were sent to arrest Mr. Garner on complaints from the community. He had been warned to cease his illegal activities the week before and chose to ignore the warning, so letting him go was not an option. When the police officers attempted to handcuff Mr. Garner, he refused to comply and pushed them away on several occasions. He resisted because he did not want to be arrested again. The officers involved did not hit with their fists or batons, nor did they draw their weapons to gain compliance. Mr. Garner was taken to the ground using the minimum amount of force by employing a maneuver taught in the police academy that has been used countless times with no negative physical impact on the arrestees. That maneuver has been mislabeled a ‘chokehold’ by the uninformed and by activists. The autopsy report demonstrates that it was not a chokehold. Unfortunately, Mr. Garner’s extremely poor health and severely compromised cardiovascular system resulted in his tragic demise. Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo did nothing wrong and should not be on trial for doing his job the way he was trained to do it.”
From The G-Man (FTG) believes the PBA president's comments are callous, dangerous, reckless and unwarranted. Moreover, they were made at a time when NYPD Commissioner James P. O'Neill is going to great lengths to create initiatives and programs to bridge the divide between his police officers and communities of color. O'Neill shared this fact with members of the Harlem community during a 32nd Precinct Community Council meeting back in 2017, which FTG attended. The commissioner was extremely direct and pulled no punches when addressing the long-standing issues between the NYPD and residents of color. Without mentioning any specific incident, he pointed out how the record number of protests that occurred in 2014 dramatically impacted and marred the relationship between the NYPD and various communities. "That was an extremely difficult year for the NYPD and the city, and much of what happened was self-inflicted," said O'Neill. "Things are moving in the right direction now. We're definitely making progress in police-community relations, but we still have a long way to go." FTG believed him then, and the news site believes him now.
Lynch's recent statement is nothing more than a middle finger to the Garner family and others still mourning his loss, and it undermines the efforts of the police commissioner and thousands of officers working with church groups, civic organizations and community centers to quell major tensions that have existed for decades. With "Patsie" bumping his gums on this highly-charged issue, and doing it a day before millions in New York City and the country were scheduled to begin celebrating Black History Month, it only makes Commissioner O'Neill's mission that much harder. Given his knack for gleeful maliciousness and boundless insensitivity, you have to wonder if "The Piranha of the PBA" even cares.
Hey, Patsie! Have you ever considered showing a little compassion, professionalism and tact? Now, FTG imagines you might be saying, "Please tell me how I can best do that?" The answer is simple. The public is well-aware of past comments you made in support of Pantaleo, so why not just keep your mouth shut until a decision has been rendered in the case. According to several officers that FTG spoke with, your incessant need to comment on Eric Garner, his character and health issues contribute nothing toward the betterment of police-community relations. Oh, just so you know, those same officers also think you're "out of control", "an idiot" and "an egotistical buffoon" that has served as PBA president for far too long and can't wait to see you replaced. Don't get mad at this news site, dude. This is what officers you work with have stated. Sorry, but badge numbers or names can't be provided. It's a journalism thing, you know.
Finally, a request for Commissioner O'Neill. Sir, FTG realizes his job is to defend his PBA members. However, if Patsie does things that directly oppose your effort to drastically improve the relationship between the NYPD and people in low-income areas of New York City, hold him accountable! If need be, give the poor man a Guinness and a hug. Let him know his attacks on Garner, and calling people of color "animals", "mutts" and "thugs", are not only a bad look for you, it's a bad look for every officer that's enthusiastically embraced your community-policing mandate and making a real effort to gain the support and trust of the people they serve. You said it best during the Harlem community meeting; "People need the police, and we need the people. That's the only way the relationship is going to work."
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