A New York City police officer admitted Tuesday that he inflated the charge against Eric Garner in the immediate aftermath of his 2014 chokehold death. Officer Justin D’Amico said he wrote up arrest paperwork after the death which would have required prosecutors to prove he’d sold 10,000 untaxed cigarettes. D’Amico acknowledged it was not the correct charge, as Garner had fewer than 100 cigarettes on him when police tried to arrest him. D’Amico made the testimony during the disciplinary trial of Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who is accused of using an illegal chokehold on Garner. The trial centers on the question of whether he used a banned chokehold or a different technique taught in the Police Academy, and whether his actions were justified. Prosecutors argue that bystander video of the arrest shows Pantaleo using lethal force.
