New York Police Department Supervisor: Eric Garner's Death 'Not A Big Deal'

A New York Police Department supervisor called the death of Eric Garner -- killed during an arrest for selling loose cigarettes -- "not a big deal," according to testimony at the departmental trial of officer Daniel Pantaleo who applied a deadly chokehold.

After Daniel Pantaleo choked Garner from behind and before three other officers tackled him, Sgt. Dhanan Saminath told Lt. Christopher Brannon in a text message that Garner was "most likely DOA ... he has no pulse," according to evidence presented Thursday, the Staten Island Advance and New York Times both reported.

That's when Lt. Brannon responded, "Not a big deal, we were effecting a lawful arrest," both newspapers reported. When the text message was read out loud, the courtroom audience was stunned.

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