Confronted by police trying to arrest him for allegedly selling illegal cigarettes, Eric Garner raised both hands in the air and, with passive defiance, told the officers not to touch him. Seconds later, a video shows the officer behind him grab the 350-pound man in a chokehold and pull him to the sidewalk, rolling him onto his stomach. 

"I can't breathe! I can't breathe!" Garner said repeatedly, his cries muffled into the pavement. 

The video of the Thursday skirmish shows the Staten Island man lying on the ground motionless after the incident. An asthmatic, Garner was later declared dead at a nearby hospital, according to CNN affiliate WCBS. Police said he suffered a heart attack and died en route to the hospital. 

"This is a terrible tragedy that occurred yesterday. A terrible tragedy that no family should have to experience," said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, calling the video of the incident "very troubling." 

Police told WCBS that 43-year-old Garner, a father of six, had a lengthy criminal history and had been previously arrested for selling untaxed cigarettes in May. 

Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who is seen on video choking Garner, was put on modified assignment and stripped of his shield and gun as the New York Police Department continues to investigate the incident, WCBS reported. The chokehold tactic is prohibited by the NYPD. 

Two EMTs and two paramedics have been suspended without pay, Erika Hellstrom, vice president of development at Richmond University Medical Center, said in an e-mail. 

In a statement, Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick J. Lynch called Pantaleo's reassignment "a completely unwarranted, kneejerk reaction for political reasons." He said the move "effectively pre-judges this case and denies the officer the very benefit of a doubt that has long been part of the social contract that allows police officers to face the risks of this difficult and complex job."  QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. Was Eric Garner being detained?
2. Were police arresting Eric Garner?
3. Was Eric Garner being taken into custody?
Q2:
1. Why were police arresting Eric Garner?
2. For what reason was Eric Garner being taken into custody?
3. What was the animus for Eric Garner's arrest?
Q3:
1. Did Eric Garner say anything to police?
2. Did Eric Garner have any words for the police?
3. Did Eric Garner speak to the cops?
Q4:
1. What did Eric Garner say to police?
2. What were Eric Garner's words for the cops?
3. What did Eric Garner tell the cops?
Q5:
1. What did Eric Garner ask police not to do?
2. What did Eric Garner request that police not do?
3. What did Eric Garner ask that the cops refrain from doing?
Q6:
1. How much does Eric Garner weigh?
2. What is Eric Garner's weight?
3. What does Eric Garner weigh?
Q7:
1. Was Eric Garner's arrest videotaped?
2. Did someone capture Eric Garner's arrest on video?
3. Is there video of Eric Garner being killed?
Q8:
1. Does Eric Garner have an illness?
2. Does Eric Garner suffer from any illnesses?
3. Does Eric Garner have a medical condition?
Q9:
1. What medical condition did Eric Garner suffer from?
2. What illness did Eric Garner have?
3. What illness was Eric Garner living with?
Q10:
1. Did Eric Garner die at the scene?
2. Did Eric Garner pass away on sight?
3. Did Eric Garner die right at the time of his arrest?
Q11:
1. What was Eric Garner's cause of death?
2. What caused Eric Garner's death?
3. What killed Eric Garner?
Q12:
1. How old was Eric Garner?
2. What was Eric Garner's age?
3. How many years old was Eric Garner?
Q13:
1. Was Eric Garner a father?
2. Did Eric Garner have any children?
3. Did Eric Garner have kids?
