Page 4 - Eric Garner Case News Today

Historically the benefit of the doubt being given to the police department and the truth is they havent earned the benefit of the doubt and thats a problem. >> lets talk about some of the protests, marc. do you think that were going to see protests like the ones we saw over the michael brown shooting, or if indeed this victim was armed, does it change things? >> absolutely. i dont think the crowds in ferguson or the crowds in new york or the crowds that have grown internationally have been unrea...

Country. lets talk more with host of "huff post live" marc lamont hill and also joined by boyce watkins founder of yourblackworld.com. good morning to both of you. marc, based on what we know so far, did the officer react the way he was supposed to, given the circumstances? >> again, with limited information that can be confirmed, its hard to say. if there was a weapon that, changes the conversation. i think the concern for many is that there are peoplesay there was no weapon and the body camera...

Today or last night, and it was handed off to him during his shift, and because of that, from talking to him briefly, he said that right when it was handed to him, he was doing something at the time, he clipped it somewhere in the car, he didnt put it on and the next thing you know youre here. i think it talks a little bit about sometimes the imperfection of some of the technology that we have, and the fact that were not used to it all the time. >> reporter: so thats what were hearing about the ...

And this might just be an aggravating factor, but youre not going to wish it away. youre not going to protest it away. these are things that communities have to really deal with at their roots. >> obviously, errol, theres a lot of anger about michael brown, who wasnt armed. in that surveillance video, you see the suspect raise a gun at the officer. i mean, do you think that that still warrants protests? you can see what went on at the gas station afterward. >> protests happen to are a lot of dif...

Throughout the st. louis area now have body cameras. . this particular case, randi, we understand the officer did have a body camera, but did not have it on at the time. however, what were relying on now is the surveillance video, these pictures that show you exactly what happened. up until the point that its frozen, and from what were seeing right now, again, we see two men basically near that police car, kind of hard to see, its up in the corner of the screen but weve certainly blown it up to ...

Have been in touch with his mother and certainly on any account a mother losing a son or daughter, losing a son in this case, its a tragedy here on this christmas eve that, you know, you can only imagine what shes going through, but again, looking at the fact that the police have put out, weve been given surveillance video that weve seen. the surveillance video according to police shows a man basically pointing what looks to be a weapon and then the video freezes. thats the video that the police...

We have seen. so again, underlying questions here are not going to necessarily change based on the particulars of the situation. >> obviously we dont have the whole picture yet. were still waiting on that second surveillance video, which should give us a closer look at what happened there at the gas station, but do you think that at least so far, the officer in this berkeley shooting, could he face charges or do you think so far this is a clear case of self-defense? >> yes, i mean that, look f t...

For our police commissioner, bratton but the statements he made and letting them do what they wanted to do during demonstrations, pushing them and stand down and it went all over and lets face it, the mayor didnt tell this guy to kill the cops but he tweeted, in his own words, thises to the do with the garn and also the brown thing. so this environment was made and this mayor did not help at all. >> ron, do you think its just the mayor? weve had months of discussion. even though the eric garner ...

>> you did, you asked the question, what was the leap? you said did -- >> i dont have a problem with attributing his rhetoric to certain conduct. look at the police officers turning their back on him. >> do you blame the nra for -- >> is there any question that this guy was motivated to come down from baltimore to kill -- >> the guy was a crazy nut. he had been arrested 21 times. >> can you at least agree on that, right? >> he would have done anything, he said it. >> and that actually is your be...

>> you did, you asked the question, what was the leap? you said did -- >> i dont have a problem with attributing his rhetoric to certain conduct. look at the police officers turning their back on him. >> do you blame the nra for -- >> is there any question that this guy was motivated to come down from baltimore to kill -- >> the guy was a crazy nut. he had been arrested 21 times. >> can you at least agree on that, right? >> he would have done anything, he said it. >> and that actually is your be...