The Staten Island grand jury investigating the police chokehold death of Eric Garner will reportedly decide whether criminal charges should be filed Wednesday.
A lawyer for Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who put Garner in the chokehold, told the New York Post he does not expect the jury to deliberate for more than two hours.
Prosecutors will review the evidence in the morning and give the grand jurors legal instructions. It is unclear what charge or charges the panel will consider, the paper reports.
The panel heard testimony last week from an officer involved in the death. He is believed to be the last witness.
Garner died during an arrest July 17. A widely watched amateur video shows one of the arresting officers wrapping his arm around Garner's neck before Garner lost consciousness.
Officers originally charged him with illegally selling loose cigarettes.
The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by “compression of the neck, compression of chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police.”
NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said cops will arrest anyone who commits a crime, including vandalism.
“We have the ability to have a level of tolerance, breathing room if you will, and we’ve been doing that for these last eight, nine days and this is a department that has a lot of experience dealing with various forms of demonstrations and we adjust our strategies and our tactics depending on circumstances of the moment,” Bratton said.
For more, visit the New York Post.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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