NEW YORK (AP) – The medical examiner’s office has not yet determined what caused the death of a man who appeared to be held in a chokehold as police attempted to arrest him last week.
“The cause and manner of death are pending further studies, and no findings will be released until the investigation is complete,” the city’s medical examiner’s office said in a statement Sunday.
It was not clear when the office might issue its findings. A spokeswoman declined to comment further on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Fire Department has barred four emergency workers from responding to 911 calls. They are employees of the Staten Island hospital where Garner was pronounced dead on Thursday. The medics’ restricted duties will remain in effect pending an investigation into their actions, Fire Department spokesman James Long said Sunday.
Video of the arrest shot by a bystander shows one officer wrap his arm around Garner’s neck as he is taken to the ground – arrested for allegedly selling untaxed, loose cigarettes – while Garner shouts, “I can’t breathe!”