Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan said that he is seeking court permission to release documents used by the grand jury in the case of a man's choking death.
In a statement, Donovan said that he "was committed to a fair, thorough, and responsible investigation" into the death of Eric Garner, a black Staten Island man who died in July after being placed in a chokehold by officer Daniel Pantaleo. A grand jury voted on Wednesday not to indict Pantaleo. Donovan said that the investigation spanned four months and included testimony from 22 civilian witnesses.
As the public is looking for answers on why a grand jury wouldn't indict Pantaleo, details could come in the form of court documents that are currently locked down. Unlike in Missouri, where dozens of grand jury documents in the death of Michael Brown were immediately released, New York DAs must ask the courts for permission to release that information.
Protests raged in New York City following the court's announcement. The news comes in the wake of a similar verdict in Ferguson last week, where a grand jury decided last week not to indict Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot and killed Brown in August.
Donovan is up for re-election in 2015. He is also rumored to be considering a bid to fill Staten Island congressman Michael Grimm's seat should he choose to step down over a massive federal investigation against him.
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