Monday, October 21, 2019

Daniel Pantaleo Receives Standing Ovation at PBA Meeting

Pantaleo was terminated by NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill several weeks ago.

Officer Says He Was Scrutinized by Colleagues for Refusing to Stand

By Gary Glennell Toms

A member of the New York Police Department's Police Benevolent Association recently spoke with From The G-Man and expressed outrage over an incident that occurred during the organization's October 8, 2019, meeting at Antun's, which is located in Queens Village, New York.

According to the officer, Daniel Pantaleo, who was recently terminated by Commissioner James O'Neill for using an illegal chokehold that led to the death of Eric Garner in 2014, made an appearance and received a standing ovation. "The minute he appeared, nearly every PBA member jumped up and loudly applauded for a good two minutes," said the officer. "The man was treated as though he was a hero and did nothing wrong, but the fact of the matter is he violated NYPD procedure and played a significant role in the death of an unarmed man. That's not just my assessment. That's the assessment of Commissioner O'Neill and the judge who recommended that Pantaleo be fired," the officer stated.

The officer also claimed that Pantaleo appeared to play the victim while addressing those in attendance. "He told us he and his family have fallen on hard times and thanked the PBA's top five and the PBA body for their support," the officer said.

The officer alleged that when he remained seated during the salute to Pantaleo, fellow officers stared at him in disapproval and disgust. "The majority of them looked at me sideways, and I really didn't give a fuck," said the officer. "I've been on the job a long time, and I'm regarded as a cop's cop by many. But a lot of people also know that I stand for what's right and don't support bullshit in any form."

The officer went on to note that Garner's death is a tragedy for all involved and that Commissioner O'Neill made the right call in terminating Pantaleo. "I fully support the commissioner's decision, and any cop that looks at the video of the takedown and says Pantaleo did nothing wrong, they're being disingenuous and they're lying to themselves and the public," proclaimed the officer. "Pantaleo's actions set off an unfortunate chain of events that caused a man to lose his life. We take an oath to protect and serve the public, and a man is dead because of Pantaleo's recklessness. I won't stand for that, and I mean that figuratively and literally."

From The G-Man is attempting to obtain footage or a photo of the incident. If successful, it will be published on the site.     

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