December 2014
A Staten Island grand jury declined to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner, who died after Pantaleo placed him in a chokehold during an arrest for selling loose cigarettes on July 17, 2014. Garner's final words — 'I can't breathe,' repeated 11 times — became a protest rallying cry. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide. Pantaleo was fired in August 2019 following an NYPD disciplinary trial.
On December 17, 2014, a South Carolina judge exonerated George Stinney Jr., a 14-year-old Black boy executed in 1944 for the murders of two white girls — the youngest person executed in the U.S. in the 20th century. The judge found Stinney had not received a fair trial: he had no meaningful legal representation, his 'confession' was coerced without parents present, and the all-white jury deliberated for 10 minutes. The case, revisited in the modern era, became a touchstone for discussions of wrongful convictions, juvenile justice, and racial terror masquerading as law.
Events
- December 3, 2014Grand Jury Declines to Indict Officer in Eric Garner Chokehold Death
A Staten Island grand jury declined to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner, who died after Pantaleo placed him in a chokehold during an arrest for selling loose cigarettes on July 17, 2014. Garner's final words — 'I can't breathe,' repeated 11 times — became a protest rallying cry. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide. Pantaleo was fired in August 2019 following an NYPD disciplinary trial.
- December 3, 2014Grand Jury Declines to Indict Officer in Eric Garner Chokehold Death
On December 3, 2014, a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner, who died after Pantaleo placed him in a chokehold during an arrest for selling loose cigarettes on July 17, 2014. Garner's final words — 'I can't breathe,' repeated 11 times — became a protest rallying cry. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide. The NYPD's chokehold ban had been in place since 1993. A federal civil rights investigation was opened; the DOJ under Trump declined to charge Pantaleo in 2019. Pantaleo was fired in August 2019 following an NYPD disciplinary trial.
- December 3, 2014Grand Jury Declines to Indict Officer Pantaleo in Eric Garner Death
A Staten Island grand jury declined to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo in the chokehold death of Eric Garner, despite video footage of the incident and a medical examiner's ruling of homicide. The decision triggered mass protests nationwide, including die-ins in which demonstrators chanted 'I can't breathe.' Pantaleo remained on the force until 2019.
- December 3, 2014Grand Jury Declines to Indict Officer Pantaleo in Eric Garner Chokehold Death
A Staten Island grand jury declined to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo in the chokehold death of Eric Garner, despite video footage and a medical examiner's ruling of homicide. The decision triggered mass protests and die-ins nationwide. Pantaleo remained on the force until 2019.
- December 17, 2014George Stinney Exoneration Highlights Jim Crow-Era Wrongful Executions
On December 17, 2014, a South Carolina judge exonerated George Stinney Jr., a 14-year-old Black boy executed in 1944 for the murders of two white girls — the youngest person executed in the U.S. in the 20th century. The judge found Stinney had not received a fair trial: he had no meaningful legal representation, his 'confession' was coerced without parents present, and the all-white jury deliberated for 10 minutes. The case, revisited in the modern era, became a touchstone for discussions of wrongful convictions, juvenile justice, and racial terror masquerading as law.
- December 17, 2014George Stinney Exonerated 70 Years After Execution at Age 14
A South Carolina judge exonerated George Stinney Jr., a 14-year-old Black boy executed in 1944 — the youngest person executed in the U.S. in the 20th century. The judge found Stinney had not received a fair trial: he had no meaningful legal representation, his confession was coerced without parents present, and the all-white jury deliberated for 10 minutes. The case became a touchstone for discussions of wrongful convictions and racial terror masquerading as law.