Veteran UFC caller Joe Rogan sympathized with the family of the late Eric Garner following his murder back in 2014, utilizing a host of prior combat sports examples to explain how law enforcement acted entirely at fault during the incident.
Garner, whose death was judged as a homicide by the case’s medical examiner, was murdered as a result of neck compression. Exclaiming 11 separate times, “I can’t breathe“, Garner was placed in a one-armed rear-naked choke during the incident, before his neck was squeezed, and he lost consciousness.
Pronounced dead at a medical facility just hours later, the officers involved in the murder of Garner were not prosecuted by the state’s district attorney, who cited that CCTV (closed circuit television) evidence was not enough to prove intent or murder.
However, reflecting on the decade-old case during his Joe Rogan Experience podcast today, the UFC commentator claimed responding officers did not handle the situation sufficiently.
Pointing to the fact the late Garner was not resisting arrest during the tragic incident, Rogan looked to dispel claims that his weight and an apparent heart attack contributed to his death, rather than a verdict of homicide via choking.
“Dude that guy’s choking him. Yeah and if you don’t think that guy’s choking him let me grab your neck like that”, he said.
“Oh, because it’s one arm — I’ll put you to sleep with one arm yeah,” Rogan added, explaining that an assailant didn’t need two if they were sufficiently trained.
“Professional fighters get put to sleep with one arm — professional world champions. Sean Brady choked out Leon Edwards for the most part with a one-armed guillotine“, he cited.
Rogan, himself is a decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, holding a black belt under Jean-Jacques Machado for over a decade.
Garner’s daughter seeks justice
Officer Daniel Pantaleo had placed a chokehold on Garner after the 43-year-old was accused of trying to sell loose cigarettes illegally in Staten Island. Pantaleo was not criminally prosecuted, despite alleged evidence of excessive use of force.
With Pantaleo going on to avoid prosecution, a host of protests and Black Lives Matter movements spread throughout Boston and much of the East Coast to boot.
Years later, following the murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin, further movements within the Black Lives Matter organization spread throughout the United States.
As far as Pantaleo was concerned, his position with the New York Police Department was terminated in 2021, following a recommendation after a disciplinary trial.
In the time since Garner’s killing, his final words; “I can’t breathe” have been used as a slogan to fight against police brutality and racial profiling in North America and worldwide during numerous protests.
Garner’s daughter, Emerald has campaigned for Pantaleo to be made publicly known by citizens.
“A lot of people don’t know what (Daniel) Pantaleo looks like, because he’s been in hiding,” Emerald Snipes-Garner said. “And I would like for people to know that they’re walking and standing with a murderer”, she noted.
“The police department has been protecting a murderer for the past five years,” Snipes-Garner continued.
“Daniel Pantaleo you’re living. You’re here. Your family can see you. I will never see my father again. And I will never see my sister again. And you, I’m coming for you”, she said putting her father’s killer on notice.
