NYC Police to Be Retrained Following Ruling on Garner’s Chokehold Death

WASHINGTON, December 5 (Sputnik) – The New York City police department will retrain its police force, following a grand jury decision not to indict a white police officer who chocked an African-American to death earlier this year, city Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced.

"I have used the example of the decision by [New York Police] commissioner [William] Bratton to move for a full retraining of the police force after the death of Eric Garner," de Blasio said at a press conference Thursday.

According to the mayor, the training will have an impact "on millions of people, because every interaction that every officer has with their fellow New Yorkers after they are trained again will be different".

Under the training, some 22,000 New York police officers will go through a three day course that will focus on showing them how to establish better relationships and communication with people in the community and how to use as less force as possible not to escalate encounters with those they confront.

Protests erupted in New York City after Wednesday's grand jury decision not to bring charges against officer Daniel Pantaleo, who killed Eric Garner in a chokehold in July. The decision was similar to last week's Missouri grand jury verdict not to indict white police officer Darren Wilson, who fatally shot unarmed 18-year-old African-American Michael Brown in August.

De Blasio cancelled his planned appearance at the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree planned for Wednesday night amid New York rallies over the grand jury decision.