Cop in chokehold death stripped of gun, badge

The Staten Island District Attorney will lead a “full and thorough investigation” into the death of Eric Garner, 43, who had a fatal heart attack Thursday after NYPD cops put him in a chokehold and knocked him to the ground, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday.

“We have a responsibility to keep every New Yorker safe, and that includes when individuals are in custody of the NYPD,” the mayor said in a statement.

“We are harnessing all resources available to the city to ensure a full and thorough investigation of the circumstances of this tragic incident.”

The cop being blamed for the chokehold, Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo, was placed on modified duty Saturday, his shield and gun taken. In the late afternoon, cops gath­ered evidence at his Staten Island home, leaving with a long, narrow box and three bags.

Police said they handcuffed the 350-pound Garner in Tompkinsville at about 5 p.m. because he was selling untaxed cigarettes, but witnesses told The Post that Garner was not peddling smokes and had tried to break up a fight between two people who ran off before cops arrived.

“They ran up on him and got rough right away. He wasn’t fighting back,” said witness Gordon Benson, 33.

“When he was on the ground, they kept holding him by the neck.” Witnesses said about five cops knocked Garner to the ground and piled atop him. “I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Garner, who died yesterday afternoon while being placed in police custody,” the mayor said in his statement Friday.

“The NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau is working closely with the Office of the Richmond County District Attorney, which is leading this investigation.”