Washington (CNN) Attorney General William Barr made the decision not to bring federal civil rights charges against the New York Police Department officer accused of fatally choking Eric Garner, siding with a Justice Department team from New York over the Civil Rights Division in Washington due to concerns that prosecutors could not successfully prove the officer acted willfully, a senior Justice Department official said.

The decision to not pursue the charges against the officer, Daniel Pantaleo, came after a dispute between the teams, the official said. Barr made the decision after viewing the video showing Garner's takedown several times and quizzing both groups of attorneys.

It is not unusual for the attorney general, as the head of the Justice Department, to make final prosecution calls.

The divide between New York prosecutors and civil rights officials in Washington, DC, existed as well under the Obama administration, creating a stalemate that left the case unresolved before Donald Trump was elected President in 2016, CNN has reported

Under disagreement was whether or not the evidence in the case could meet the high legal standard that Pantaleo, beyond a reasonable doubt, acted willfully.

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