Eric Garner: Poll Says Grand Jury Should Have Brought Charges

Updated: December 9, 2014 8:50 AM [ET] | Originally published: December 9, 2014 7:51 AM EST;

More than half of all Americans believe charges should have been brought against the white police officer involved in the “chokehold” death of unarmed black man Eric Garner, according to a new poll.

A total of 57% say the New York City grand jury that decided not to indict Daniel Panteleo was wrong in their decision, the USA Today/Pew Research Center poll found. Just over one in five (22%) said the grand jury was right not to indict.

The strong support for an indictment may be due to a video posted afterward showing Garner being held in what appeared to be an illegal chokehold during his arrest for selling loose cigarettes. In the video, Garner can be heard saying ‘I can’t breathe,” which has now become a rallying cry for those protesting the decision. Pantaleo has reportedly denied using an illegal maneuver to subdue Garner.

Witness Protesters Taking Over the Streets After the Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision

Police Chokehold Death — A group of protesters rally against a grand jury's decision not to indict the police officer involved in the death of Eric Garner occupy the eastbound traffic lanes of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City in the early morning hours of Dec. 4, 2014.Jason DeCrow—AP

People Protest No Indictment in Eric Garner Chokehold Case — Protestors block 15th Street near Pennsylvania Avenue to protest the Staten Island grand jury's decision not to indict officer Daniel Pantaleo in the Eric Garner chokehold case in Washington on Dec. 3, 2014.Jim Lo Scalzo—EPA

Grand Jury Declines To Indict NYPD Officer In Eric Garner Death — Demonstrators march through the streets of New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Andrew Burton—Getty Images

Protests Erupt Across Country After Grand Jury Does Not Indict NYPD Officer Over Chokehold Death — Regina Bates speaks during a demonstration in Oakland, Calif. on Dec. 3, 2014. Elijah Nouvelage—Getty Images

Police stand guard on the West Side highway as protesters block traffic after the jury verdict in the death of Eric Garner in New York — Police stand guard on the West Side highway as protesters block traffic in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Shannon Stapleton—Reuters

Demonstrators Gather In Philadelphia To Protest Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision — Anwar Thurston, 36, joined demonstrators who gathered to protest the Eric Garner grand jury decision during a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at City Hall in Philadelphia on Dec. 3, 2014.Mark Makela—Getty Images

BESTPIX - Demonstrators Gather In Philadelphia To Protest Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision — A demonstrator cries while gathering to protest the Eric Garner grand jury decision during a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at City Hall in Philadelphia on Dec. 3, 2014.Mark Makela—Getty Images

US-ERIC-GARNER-PROTEST — Protestors lay down in Grand Central Station during a protest in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014.Timothy A. Clary—AFP/Getty Images

People take part in a protest against the grand jury decision on the death of Eric Garner in midtown Manhattan in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Eric Thayer—Reuters

NYC reacts to Eric Garner Grand Jury decision — Protesters raise their arms and chant at police officers in Times Square in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Caitlin Ochs—Polaris

US-CRIME-POLICE-RACE-UNREST — Demonstrators march in protest on the streets of St. Louis on Dec. 3, 2014. Michael B. Thomas—AFP/Getty Images

A man holding a child walks past protesters demanding justice for the death of Eric Garner in Manhattan — A man holding a child walks with protesters as they march past Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Adrees Latif—Reuters

People Protest over no indictment in Eric Garner's chokehold case in Atlanta, Georgia — Atlanta Police face off with protesters blocking Spring Street in Atlanta on Dec. 3, 2014. Erik S. Lesser—EPA

A demonstrator stands next to makeshift memorial where Eric Garner died during arrest in July in Staten Island borough of New York — A demonstrator stands next to a makeshift memorial where Eric Garner died during an arrest in July in the Staten Island borough of New York City on Dec. 3, 2014. Shannon Stapleton—Reuters

The poll’s findings stand in stark contrast to surveys regarding a similar grand jury decision in the Ferguson, Mo. killing of an unarmed black man, Michael Brown, by a white police officer. A Washington Post poll found that 48% of Americans approved of the grand jury decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson, while 45% said they disapproved.

Both deaths—and a series of other killings of black men by police officers over the past several months— have galvanized protests in much of the country, including demonstrations in Berkeley, Calif., New York, and Washington, D.C. In an interview that aired Monday on BET, President Obama called the protests “necessary” to bring change.

“Power concedes nothing without a fight, that’s true , but it’s also true that a country’s conscious has to be triggered by some inconvenience,” Obama said. “The value of peaceful protests, activism … is it reminds the society this is not yet done.”

The results of the USA Today poll are based on surveys of 1,507 Americans conducted between Dec. 3 and Dec. 7. The results from the total sample size has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.

[USA Today]

Poll: 57% of Americans Say Grand Jury Wrong Not to Indict Cop in Garner Case

Witness Protesters Taking Over the Streets After the Eric Garner Grand Jury Decision

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