NYPD Sgt. Faces Departmental Charges For Eric Garner Death

STATEN ISLAND, New York City — As part of the ongoing departmental investigation into the Eric Garner choke-hold death, NYPD Sergeant Kizzy Adonis has been placed on modified duty.

The NYPD African-American sergeant has been stripped of her gun and badge and charged internally in the choke-hold death of Eric Garner, the first official accusation of wrongdoing in the case that helped spark a national movement on the role of race in policing. Sgt. Kizzy Adonis is the female sergeant who was supervising the police action that led to Garner’s death on July 17, 2014.

Sergeant Kizzy Adoni, was one of the supervising officers at the scene the detention and subsequent use of force, apparently failed to intercede on behalf of the obviously distressed and pleading Eric Garner, that fateful day. Charges are likely against a second NYPD sergeant, sources told the Daily News.

Former NYPD Deputy Inspector Corey Pegues told BW, shortly after the Eric Garner death at hands of Staten Island Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo that the sergeant who was on the scene and didn’t intervene should be the first to be fired.

“She absolutely did nothing to stop this gang assault, of these cops tackling this guy to the ground,” Pegues told BW, when he appeared on PBP Radio.

An internal police report prepared right after Garner’s death quoted Sgt. Adonis telling supervisors immediately after the incident that officers were “maintaining control” of Garner during the incident, and that his condition did not seem serious to her.

“The original report didn’t even have any mention of the choke-hold that took place, in it,” Pegues informed BW, back in August 2014.

Adonis told investigators “the perpetrator’s condition did not seem serious and that he did not appear to get worse,” according to an internal report by the NYPD. the Sgt. also told supervisors that she “believed she heard the perpetrator state that he was having difficulty breathing.”

When the charges were announced we reached back out to Former NYPD Deputy Inspector Pegues.

“She should have taken control of the situation as soon as she arrived on the scene,” Peques tell BW Friday. “Just because she was a newly promoted sergeant does not absolve her of her duties!”

The timing of Friday’s actions against Sgt. Adonis is purely procedural. Friday is the last day her probation could be extended, so she had to be placed on modified duty.

The NYPD issued a statement, saying “The NYPD, in consultation with the United States Attorney’s office, served the departmental charges at this time in order to preserve the disciplinary statute of limitations and all further proceedings concerning the Garner inquiry will continue to be stayed until the conclusion of the federal investigation.”

The details of Adonis charges were not immediately released.

Eric Garner, 43, died after he was placed in a police choke-hold on Staten Island during an arrest for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes on July 17, 2014.In December 2014, a grand jury opted not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death. The decision prompted marches and protests across the country.

AJ Woodson

AJ Woodson is the Editor-In-Chief of Black Westchester and Co-Owner of Urban Soul Media Group, the parent company, Host & Producer of the People Before Politics Radio Show. AJ is a Father, Brother, An Author, Journalism Fellow (Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism), Hip-Hop Artist - one third of the legendary underground rap group JVC FORCE known for the single Strong Island, Radio Personality, Hip-Hop Historian, Documentarian, Activist, Criminal Justice Advocate and Freelance Journalist whose byline has appeared in several print publications and online sites including The Source, Vibe, the Village Voice, Upscale, Sonicnet.com, Launch.com, Rolling Out Newspaper, Daily Challenge Newspaper, Spiritual Minded Magazine, Word Up! Magazine, On The Go Magazine and several others.