Retired NYPD Spokesman Says ‘We Killed Eric Garner’ In Emotional Instagram Post
In a now-deleted post, a retired NYPD spokesman blasted cops over the chokehold death of Eric Garner, calling it a “horrible injustice.”
“We killed Eric Garner,” Michael DeBonis, 40, an ex-detective who worked for the deputy commissioner for public information, posted last week on Instagram. DeBonis admitted he said nothing in 2014 following the fatal arrest in Staten Island, which was video taped and showed Garner’s final momments where he could be heard saying, “I can’t breathe.”
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“In writing this post I’m fully aware that some of my cop friends may call me a traitor, a hypocrite or even un follow me,” DeBonis wrote. “I’m ok with that because if you don’t agree with what I’m about to say then we definitely don’t see eye to eye when it comes to policing,” The New York Post quotes.
DeBonis said Garner’s bust for selling smokes “was legal, the initial forced [sic] used to stop him from resisting was fine, but in the end … WE PUNISHED HIM FOR RESISTING ARREST … WE WATCHED HIM DIE … WE DIDN’T EVEN SIT HIM UP AND RENDER HIM BASIC AID.” He added: “It was a horrible injustice that is forever a part of our history. … I’m a hypocrite for saying this now, because I didn’t say it publicly then, but WE ALL need to hold ourselves accountable.”
Despite history of bad cops, DeBonis, who goes by the handle m_debonis1, wrote that “the Police are NOT the enemy … One bad cop doesn’t define who we are or what we have done for this city … WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HELP THESE COMMUNITIES?”
As we previously reported, Garner died after being taken down by former cop Daniel Pantaleo, who grabbed him by the neck from behind in a chokehold. The death was eventually ruled a homicide but Pantaleo was never charged with a crime but got fired last August.
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