Eric Garner died in a confrontation with New York police July 17 . The medical examiner ruled that the death of Garner , 43 , was a homicide . The cause of death was `` compression of neck ( chokehold ) , compression of chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police . '' Police said they were responding to reports of an armed man who had been threatening people on Staten Island and chasing them into nearby homes after he allegedly threatened to shoot them.
Eric Garner died in a confrontation with New York police July 17 . The medical examiner ruled that the death of Garner , 43 , was a homicide . Police said they were responding to reports of an armed man who had been threatening people on Staten Island and chasing them into nearby homes after he allegedly threatened to shoot them.