Chief of Dept. Denies Targeting Cigarette Sales in Area of Garner's Arrest

[hrmjustin]

NY1

New York City Police Department's Chief of Department Philip Banks is responding to reports that he had a role in the chain of events that ended in Eric Garner's death.

Published reports this morning claim Banks sent a sergeant from his office in July to investigate complaints of untaxed cigarettes in the Tompkinsville neighborhood.

That's the same neighborhood where Garner died after police tried to arrest him on July 17 for allegedly selling untaxed loose cigarettes.

Chief Phillip Banks tells NY1, "I did not personally direct anyone in the NYPD to take any actions concerning loose cigarettes sales in the 120th precinct or any other precinct

http://www.ny1.com/content/news/213512/chief-of-dept--denies-targeting-cigarette-sales-in-area-of-garner-s-arrest/