The four EMTs who responded to the scene where New York City cops had taken Eric Garner down after an apparent chokehold and he died an hour later have been suspended without pay while their actions are being investigated.
The Fire Department of New York, which handles citywide emergency medical dispatch, on Sunday barred them from responding to 911 calls. The latest move is by Richmond University Medical Center, which employs them. The hospital declined to explain the decision.
"The EMTs are suspended without pay while the investigation continues as they are placed on operational restriction," the hospital said in a statement announcing the move. "This restriction means they are not working at this hospital or throughout the 911 system. Richmond University Medical Center continues to fully cooperate as this matter is under investigation."
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio today told reporters that -- as a layman -- he thought a chokehold had been employed by a cop during the controversial caught-on-camera incident on Staten Island on Thursday.
"As an individual who's not expert in law enforcement, it looked like a chokehold to me. But I also emphasize you have a full investigation because all sides need to be heard and all evidence has to be looked at," de Blasio told reporters trailing him on vacation in Italy. Audio was provided to reporters in New York by the mayor's office.
The mayor left on Saturday night, after postponing his departure for a day to deal with the developing firestorm over Garner's death.
Watch Video On How Eric Garner Was Attacked Below:
Every member of the New York City police department will be required to undergo retraining on the use of violence following the death of a man in custody who appeared to have been subdued with a chokehold, the police commissioner said today.
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Police Commissioner William Bratton said his investigators have spoken with the FBI "to discuss their monitoring of this investigation," and said that he would "not be surprised" if federal prosecutors began their own civil rights violation case.
Bratton was referring to the death last week of Eric Garner. Garner, who was 6-foot-3 and roughly 350 pounds, died Thursday as police struggled to arrest him on suspicion of selling "loosies," or individual cigarettes, according to the NYPD. A video of the incident showed police apparently putting Garner in a chokehold while he says he can't breathe.
Authorities said Garner appeared to have a heart attack, but the results of an autopsy have not yet been released.
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