Staten Island Grand Jury Declines to Indict NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo in Chokehold Death of Eric Garner

BREAKING … NYC grand jury clears NYPD cop in the chokehold death of Eric Garner …

A Staten Island grand jury voted a “no-bill” and dismissed all charges against NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the choke-hold death of Eric Garner. Coming off the racially charged Ferguson, Mo grand jury “no-bill” vote, this could get really ugly. Eric Garner, while being arrested on July 17, 2014 for selling “loose” untaxed cigarettes died after being placed in a chokehold by Daniel Pantaleo.  Hopefully the reaction to this with protests will be peaceful. One of the reasons why the protests might be more peaceful than what we saw in Ferguson, MO is because the MSM and race merchants were too busy focusing on Ferguson and not this one.

A Staten Island grand jury cleared an NYPD cop in the chokehold death of Eric Garner during his caught-on-video arrest for peddling loose cigarettes, the Staten Island district attorney confirmed Wednesday.

The panel voted a “no-bill” and dismissed all potential charges against Officer Daniel Pantaleo.

The blockbuster decision capped weeks of investigation by the special grand jury, which was empaneled in September specifically to review evidence in Garner’s racially charged death.

In a statement released by his union, Pantaleo said: “I became a police officer to help people and to protect those who can’t protect themselves.”

“It is never my intention to harm anyone and I feel very bad about the death of Mr. Garner,” he added.

“My family and I include him and his family in our prayers and I hope that they will accept my personal condolences for their loss.”

Honestly, I have to admit I did not know that selling individual cigarettes was a crime.

UPDATE I: From PJ Media, this answers my question about the criminalization of selling loose cigs.

An FDA rule issued on June 22, 2010 — well within the Obama era, under a president who has unleashed bureaucracy on the entire country — mandates that individual cigarettes cannot be sold without their original packaging. You must not sell an unhealthy product that everyone knows is unhealthy unless it’s still in the polluting box that it originally came in.

If you sell cigarettes, you must comply with the following bullet points. Note the bold.

Check photo ID of everyone appearing under age 27 who attempts to purchase cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, or smokeless tobacco.
Only sell cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, and smokeless tobacco to anyone age 18 or older. **
Only sell cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, and smokeless tobacco in a direct, face-to-face exchange. ***
Do NOT break open cigarette or smokeless tobacco packages to sell products in smaller amounts.
Do NOT sell cigarette packages containing fewer than 20 cigarettes.
Do NOT sell single cigarettes, also called “loosies”.
Do NOT give away free samples of cigarettes.
Do NOT give away free samples of smokeless tobacco except from a “qualified adult-only facility.”
Do NOT sell flavored cigarettes or flavored cigarette tobacco (other than menthol).

* This is only a summary of the laws. For the full list of federal laws, visit: www.fda.gov/BreakTheChain.

Ferguson, MO Grand Jury’s Decision in the Shooting Death of Michael Brown … NO INDICTMENT AGAINST OFFICER DARREN WILSON, “No True Bill” Returned

BREAKING NEWS: GRAND JURY DECISION … THEY HAVE DECIDED TO NOT INDICT OFFICER DARREN WILSON.

No indictment against officer Darren Wilson.

ABC NEWS VIDEO – Ferguson Grand Jury Does Not Indict Officer Darren Wilson

At a live press conference tonight from Ferguson. MO, St. Louis County Prosecuting Atty. Bob McCulloch announced that grand jury no indictment for Officer Darren Wilson.  Bob McCulloch said,”They determined that no probable cause exists to file any charge against Officer Wilson, and returned a ‘No True Bill’ on each of the five indictments.”

Live Feed from Streets of Ferguson, Mo

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

UPDATE I: ABC News – Ferguson Grand Jury Does Not Indict Officer Darren Wilson in Death of Michael Brown

A Missouri grand jury has decided not to indict Police Officer Darren Wilson for the Aug. 9 shooting of unarmed Ferguson teenager Michael Brown, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch said tonight.

McCulloch said that the grand jurors ruled that “no probable cause exists” to indict Wilson on any of the five possible charges that they were asked to consider. He said that the jury was “presented with five indictments” ranging from “murder in the first degree to involuntary manslaughter.”

The prosecutor repeatedly stressed the physical evidence that the 12 jurors considered, saying that it “tells the accurate and tragic story of what happened.”

“All 12 jurors were present for every session and all 12 jurors examined every piece of evidence,” MuCulloch said, adding that the jurors are “the only people who have heard and examined every witness.”

UPDATE II: Reaction following the no indictment decision.

The decision set off a new wave of anger among hundreds who gathered outside the Ferguson Police Department. Police in riot gear stood in a line as demonstrators chanted and threw signs and other objects toward them as the news spread. One woman said: “The system failed us again.”

Mr. Brown’s family issued a statement expressing sadness but calling for peaceful protest and a campaign for body cameras on police officers nationwide. “We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions,” the statement said. “While we understand that many others share our pain, we ask that you channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change. We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen.”

UPDATE III: Legal Insurrection has a very good analysis of the reasons why Officer Wilson was not indicted.

As has been widely anticipated for weeks, the Ferguson MO Grand Jury has DECLINED to indict Police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of black adult Michael Brown.

This result has not been unexpected, as the overwhelming weight of both the eye witness and forensic evidence has been entirely consistent with Officer Wilson’s narrative of self-defense, including:

Wilson being attacked by Brown and his accomplice Dorian Johnson in his patrol vehicle
a struggle over Wilson’s service pistol
shots fired inside the vehicle (which forensic examination confirmed caused a contact gun shot wound to Brown’s right hand)
the temporary flight of Brown upon those initial gunshots
the return of the 292 pound Brown re-engage the much smaller officer
the firing of additional defensive rounds as necessary to halt Brown’s violence

USA Today Reporting No Indictment in Ferguson. MO Shooting Death of Michael Brown

No indictment in Ferguson case

A white police officer will not face charges for fatally shooting an unarmed black teenager in a case that set off violent protests and racial unrest throughout the nation, an attorney close to the case said Monday night.

A St. Louis County grand jury declined to indict officer Darren Wilson, 28, for firing six shots in an August confrontation that killed 18-year-old Michael Brown, said Benjamin Crump, an attorney for the family. The decision had been long awaited and followed rioting that resembled war-zone news footage in this predominantly black suburb of St. Louis.

“The jury was not inclined to indict on any charges,” Crump said after being informed of the decision by authorities. Prosecutors scheduled an news conference to announce the decision.

Grand Jury Decision on Whether Or Not To Indict Officer Darren Wilson in Shooting Death of Michael Brown To Be Announced Monday at 8 p.m. CT (Live Feed)

The fate of officer Darren Wilson to be determined tonight …

LIVE FEED FROM STREETS IN FERGUSON

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

A decision by the grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri in the shooting death of Michael Brown has been reached. The announcement of their decision is to be announced tonight at 9 pm ET, 8 pm CT.

 While protesters chanted late Monday for an indictment in the shooting death of Michael Brown, officials called for calm as the world awaits word of the grand jury’s decision.

“No matter what is announced, people will be emotional. I want people to think with their heads and not with emotion,” said St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley. “This is not the time to turn on each other. It is a time to turn to each other.”

Protesters were gathering outside the police department in Ferguson. Darren Wilson, a white police officer with the department, shot and killed Brown, a black teenager, on August 9.

The grand jury’s decision on whether to indict Wilson will be announced at about 8 p.m. (9 p.m. ET) Monday, according to the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney of St. Louis County.

UPDATE I: Gov. Jay Nixon of Missouri called for “peace, respect and restraint”

Gov. Jay Nixon of Missouri called for “peace, respect and restraint” on Monday as the region nervously awaited an announcement of the grand jury’s decision on whether a white police officer should face charges in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager in nearby Ferguson.

Mr. Nixon said that he did not know whether the grand jury had decided to indict the officer, Darren Wilson, for the Aug. 9 shooting of the teenager, Michael Brown, but he and other officials said that peaceful protesters would be respected, and even allowed to potentially slow down traffic on streets.

“Our shared hope and expectation is that regardless of the decision, people on all sides show tolerance, mutual respect and restraint” he said.

UPDATE II: Stores Close Ahead of Announcement.

I wonder whether this is why they delayed the announcement until 9 pm tonight. Was it to make sure businesses could close and commuters could get home from work so that the police and National Guard only had to deal with potential rioters.

Employers, restaurants, retailers, libraries and other venues around the St. Louis area closed early ahead of tonight’s grand jury announcement.

Several said they will remain closed Tuesday as a precautionary measure.

Plaza Frontenac and The Galleria both closed their doors at 6 p.m. today. The Galleria usually closes at 10 p.m.; Plaza Frontenac at 9 p.m.

Customers who called the main number at the Macy’s at The Galleria Monday afternoon were greeted with this message: “Due to circumstances beyond our control, our store is currently closed.” The Galleria 6 motion picture theater also closed at 6 p.m.

QuikTrip and Best Buys are among other major retailers that decided to temporarily close some local stores.

UPDATE III: LIVE FEED FROM COURTROOM FOR DECISION

Minnesota Vikings’ Adrian Peterson Indictment in Child Injury Case … Warrant Issued for His Arrest (Update: Peterson Booked on Child Abuse Charge, Posts Bond)

AND ANOTHER BLACK EYE FOR THE NFL …

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been indicted in Montgomery County, Texas  for reckless or negligent injury to a child. The indictment is in regards to Peterson hitting his 4 year old son this past summer with a branch, referred to as a switch, as a form of punishment. Peterson states that this is how he was punished as a child. A grand jury seated earlier this summer decided not to charge Peterson with a crime. However, that was not the case with the new one. According to accounts, the incident resulted in multiple injuries to the child. The boy lives with his mother in Minnesota but was on a visit to Texas several months ago when Peterson disciplined him with the switch.  Peterson was taken into custody at 1 a.m. Saturday in Montgomery County, Texas, and was released on $15,000 bond, according to NFL.com. If convicted, Adrian Peterson could face two years in prison.

Adrian Peterson has been deactivated by the Vikings and will not play this Sunday against the New England Patriots.

VIDEO – CBS Minnesota

According to law-enforcement sources, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson beat his 4-year-old son with a tree branch as a form of punishment this summer, an incident that allegedly resulted in multiple injuries to the child. According to reports, Peterson has been indicted in Montgomery County, Texas for injury to a child.

The “whooping” – as Peterson put it when interviewed by police – occurred in Spring, Texas, in May. Peterson’s son had pushed another one of Peterson’s children off of a motorbike video game. As punishment, Peterson grabbed a tree branch – which he consistently referred to as a “switch” – removed the leaves and struck the child repeatedly.

The beating allegedly resulted in numerous injuries to the child, including cuts and bruises to the child’s back, buttocks, ankles, legs and scrotum, along with defensive wounds to the child’s hands. Peterson then texted the boy’s mother, saying that one wound in particular would make her “mad at me about his leg. I got kinda good wit the tail end of the switch.”

Statements Issued by Peterson’s attorney, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and and Minnesota Vikings.

Adrian Peterson’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin later released the following statement:

Adrian Peterson has been informed that he was indicted by a grand jury in Montgomery County, Texas for Injury to a Child. The charged conduct involves using a switch to spank his son. This indictment follows Adrian’s full cooperation with authorities who have been looking into this matter. Adrian is a loving father who used his judgment as a parent to discipline his son. He used the same kind of discipline with his child that he experienced as a child growing up in east Texas. Adrian has never hidden from what happened. He has cooperated fully with authorities and voluntarily testified before the grand jury for several hours. Adrian will address the charges with the same respect and responsiveness he has brought to this inquiry from its beginning. It is important to remember that Adrian never intended to harm his son and deeply regrets the unintentional injury.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement on Friday evening:

On Thursday, September 11, 2014, a Montgomery County Grand Jury, “true billed”, Adrian Lewis Peterson on a charge of injury to a child. On today’s date at 2:47 PM, a warrant was issued and entered for the arrest of Adrian Peterson for that charge.

Since the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office has referred the case to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, and the investigation has led to a, “true bill”, on a criminal offense, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office will not discuss details in reference to the case or investigation.

At the time of this release, Adrian Peterson is not in custody at the Montgomery County Jail and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office does not have any details in the arrest of Adrian Peterson.

Peterson’s team, the Vikings, released the following statement on Friday evening:

The Vikings are in the process of gathering information regarding the legal situation involving Adrian Peterson. At this time, we will defer further questions to Adrian’s attorney Rusty Hardin.

UPDATE I: Warrant issued for arrest of Vikings’ Adrian Peterson after indictment alleging injury to child

One of the darkest weeks in NFL history took another disturbing twist Friday when a warrant was issued in Texas for the arrest of Adrian Peterson, the face of the Vikings, over his treatment of one of his children.

Peterson faces an indictment accusing him of reckless or negligent injury to a child stemming from Peterson’s decision earlier this year to discipline his 4-year-old son by beating him with a ‘‘switch.’’

The Vikings responded by quickly deactivating Peterson for Sunday’s home opener against New England at TCF Bank Stadium. Peterson will surrender to Houston police, his attorney said.

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UPDATE II: Adrian Peterson Booked on Child Abuse Charge, Posts Bond.

Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson turned himself in to Montgomery County, Texas, authorities early Saturday morning.

He was booked into the Montgomery County jail at 1:06 a.m. CT and released at 1:35 a.m. CT after posting the $15,000 bond.