Considering the gravity of the circumstances and their potential impact on race relations in this country, it would seem prudent to hear from some actual police officers reacting to the non-indictment of one of their own for the "chokehold" death of Eric Garner. As has been pointed out repeatedly both here on this site (although those voices are decidedly in the minority) and in many other web-based forums, the job of a police officer entails a high degree of personal risk and stress often with very little in terms of reward. I think it's incumbent on all of us to at least consider and try to appreciate some of their views so we can have a full understanding of the attitudes towards African-Americans in general of the officers to whom we have entrusted our safety and protection.

As reported in The Week, several confirmed legitimate police have publicly weighed in on this tense and delicate debate on the website PoliceOne.com:

PoliceOne.com is a discussion forum for law enforcement officers, and while anyone can access some of the site content, commenting privileges are available exclusively to verified police. The PoliceOne.com staff "confirm[s] the status of all officers registering for PoliceOne by calling that officer's department directly."

The comments listed below were obtained from this comment thread on PoliceOne.com:

Posted by SURVIVAL on Thursday, December 04, 2014 01:21 AM Pacific Report Abuse What choke hold? You mean the attempted "Carotid Restraint Hold" that lasted for several seconds on "Fatso" the walking heart attack? He killed himself by getting so worked up over refusing to follow simple and lawful commands. Shame on NYPD for prohibiting such an effective control hold in the first place. The carotid has saved many of my arrestees and me further injury plenty of times.

To the criminals in protest,don't break the law and do what the authorities tell you to do. Statutorily or Biblically, it's all there in black and white print..."Do what is right and obey the peace keepers

posted by djbadback on Thursday, December 04, 2014 00:08 AM Pacific Report Abuse He was able to breathe enough to talk, so having sufficient air doesn't seem to be a problem after all. Just another criminal caught in the middle of committing a crime. Eric Garner is (WAS) 6'4" and weighed 400 lbs. Instead of suing the police department, his family should sue Papa Johns, Dominos, Pizza Hut, Burger King, McDonalds, etc.......

Posted by ironclad983 on Thursday, December 04, 2014 04:24 PM Pacific Report Abuse Not guilty! Do any of these protesters have jobs, because I want a job that lets me not come in so I can protest about something that I clearly dont understand! Lazy, Jobless, drains on society.

Posted by JackC on Thursday, December 04, 2014 03:21 PM Pacific Report Abuse The liberal progressives in this country elected to office did so by catering to the anti-police and siding with them. So with that said you cannot expect any understanding of police tactics to keep the officer safe. They are not realists. With that said we have to show more understanding of the progressive liberals and the other anti police. Be sensitive to their grievences, demands and wishes. Do nothing and do it well. The new form of proactive policing. You can't save people who don't want to be saved.



Posted by piecebwithu on Thursday, December 04, 2014 06:49 AM Pacific Report Abuse Oh, and the mayor of New York equated this incident to "centuries of racism" that has occurred in this country. This, I'm not being sarcastic about. He really said it

Posted by Aviano25 on Thursday, December 04, 2014 06:48 AM Pacific Report Abuse Every news channel is covering this incident...almost all; except, foxnews is against law enforcement. Lets start with changing the news media. Make it a law they cannot lie or make up stories as they go long. If so, FCC revokes their license. Then lets throw everyone out of office that can't see the real story right in front of them. Mr President this is not a Federal Government issue, BUTT OUT!!!

Posted by Wasafuzz on Thursday, December 04, 2014 00:49 AM Pacific Report Abuse Once again! Eric Holder to the rescue of his fellow African American criminal Eric Garner, now he's spoken with Obama and they will sick the Feds on the officer now with the federal civil rights investigation. @SAPDMAS both of my sons have entered police work recently, I tried my hardest to keep them out this career. It use to be a very honorable profession where you were respected but no more. I pray they reconsider and get out of it.

Posted by slim1899 on Thursday, December 04, 2014 06:26 AM Pacific Report Abuse If you can talk you can breathe. Lets stop making excuses for criminal behavior because they are black. This guy would have died going up a flight of stairs. His diet killed him. The real victims are these poor Officers who's lives are destroyed because everyone is too afraid to speak the truth. These were bad guys, doing bad things. No one cares what color they were except the racist liberals.

Posted by Muckers35 on Thursday, December 04, 2014 03:31 AM Pacific Report Abuse It's going to be a long 19 years to retirement...we can only pray that we never have to do the RIGHT thing and still be thrown under the bus like we are the thugs...society is backwards..be careful brothers and my prayers are with you all...

Posted by SAPDMAS on Wednesday, December 03, 2014 08:27 PM Pacific Report Abuse People are sick and tired of thugs. Certain people better wake the hell up and stop supporting the thugs. 2 years 1 month before the head thug gets thrown out and hopefully a real POTUS gets elected.



Posted by VON1 on Wednesday, December 03, 2014 08:37 PM Pacific Report Abuse Ok ladies and gentleman we all agree this a good day for cops in use of force incidents.

Very happy for the outcome for sure.

The man should not have resisted. Somehow I'm hearing this song," put another log on the fire "

Watch your backs out there. Oh your fronts and sides too. Going to get nasty. Unless of course they let us do our job kick some thug ass.



Posted by randy646 on Thursday, December 04, 2014 06:54 PM Pacific Report Abuse Guys beware! A wanta be journalist named [...] from a media online place called Speed Read which is nothing but a joke of the journalism profession. She is crusing our post and screen shooting them for her twisted view slimy article.

Last but not least, it appears that at least one of the officers caught on to the fact that their posts were being "cruised:"

I hope the above succinctly illustrates why we cannot and should not leap to conclusions or generalize about police attitudes towards race. After all, remember that your taxes pay their salaries and pensions.