A retired New York City police lieutenant said Wednesday on "Fox & Friends" that morale among officers has sunk to a new low following the firing of Daniel Pantaleo, who was involved in the arrest and death of Eric Garner in 2014.
"It starts with the mayor [Bill de Blasio] and all his underlings, as I call them. They just don't give them any support anymore. You can see it, morale is at an all-time low. I've never seen morale as low as it is with this administration," said former Lt. Joe Cardinale, arguing that rank-and-file officers are "sending a message right back" to their higher-ups and politicians.
"The message is: You don't support us, we're going to do the minimum."
NYPD UNION RIPS DE BLASIO OVER ERIC GARNER COP CASE, WARNS POLICE DEPARTMENT IS FROZEN
Outrage among officers after the firing of Pantaleo reportedly had a quick impact, with the number of arrests dropping sharply compared to 2018.
Just between Aug. 17, when Pantaleo was fired, and Aug. 25, arrests dropped by 27 percent compared to the same period in 2018, the New York Post reported.
NYPD cops made 3,508 arrests compared to 4,827 a year earlier, according to the Post.
Pantaleo was fired over his role in the arrest of Garner, who was selling untaxed cigarettes on Staten Island. After he resisted arrest, Pantaleo got behind him and took him down. Prosecutors later argued that he used a banned chokehold, but Pantaleo argued he used an approved “seat belt” technique.
Garner could be heard saying “I can’t breathe” on video footage that subsequently went viral. The police union has argued that Pantaleo did nothing wrong, and say that Garner’s death was attributable to his poor health.
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Co-panelist Dr. Andy Costello, a former NYPD inspector and professor at New York Institute of Technology, defended Pantaleo, arguing he was taking action in the case based on orders from his commander, not acting on his own.
"This was not a self-initiated action," Costello emphasized, saying that Pantaleo was not making a spontaneous street arrest.
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He said seeing Pantaleo lose his job and his benefits will make other officers think twice before they act, fearing they will not be supported if something goes awry.
"Why would you want to engage in any independent action when your agency just gave you an example of what happens when you're doing something that's not even independent?" he asked.
Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
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