Who Is Daniel Pantaleo, Eric Garner's Killer? NYPD Officer Must Be Fired From Police Force, Twitter Users Say

A Twitter campaign was underway Tuesday as calls grew to fire the New York City police officer whose chokehold killed an unarmed black man selling untaxed cigarettes in 2014. Daniel Pantaleo employed the chokehold after he said Eric Garner was resisting arrest for selling "loosies," or single cigarettes, in public. The entire deadly episode was captured on video by a bystander but a grand jury failed to indict Pantaleo.

The hashtag "#FirePantaleo" was trending on Twitter Tuesday afternoon as users crafted pleas to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to fire Pantaleo, who is still a member of the NYPD on modified assignment. The tweets implored de Blasio to act swiftly, noting that it has been about a year and a half since Garner's death, which has gone unpunished.

Some of the tweets reasoned that keeping Pantaleo on the force tainted the image of the NYPD. Other suggested Pantaleo was rewarded with a pay raise and being allowed to keep his pension. Pantaleo was earning $120,000 in annual compensation from the NYPD, the New York Daily News reported in September.

A sampling of the tweets follow below:

While it was not clear how, or if, de Blasio would react to the calls on Twitter, Pantaleo could still be tried by the NYPD, local news outlet am New York reported Monday. De Blasio could also fire him, but Pantaleo would effectively be removed from the police force if convicted in a departmental trial. However, the only way a departmental trial could happen and move forward is with the blessing of NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill and de Blasio.

Garner, a 43 year old father of six who had asthma, died July 17 after officers approached him for selling loose, untaxed cigarettes on a public street in the Staten Island borough of New York City. The video that recorded the interaction showed Pantaleo putting him in a chokehold while police officers joined in trying to restrain him after Garner questioned why he was being handcuffed. Selling loose, untaxed cigarettes is a misdemeanor that can result in a citation being issued on the spot.

The official cause of death was homicide by way of compression of the neck and chest, according to the city medical examiner.

Garner's last words — "I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe!" — would go on to become a rallying cry of sorts for the Black Lives Matter social justice movement against police brutality.

The video of Garner's interaction with police follows below.

Warning: The below video contains graphic language and content.