NYPD Arrest the Man Who Filmed the Police Lynching of Eric Garner

Hat tip to the Root

Silive.com reports that:

ST. GEORGE — Ramsey Orta, the 22-year-old bystander who shot the widely-viewed cell phone video of Eric Garner's fatal arrest on Bay Street, was arrested Saturday night on weapon possession charges, police said.

Orta and a teenage woman, identified by police as Alba Lekaj, were arrested just before 10 p.m., in front of 61 Central Ave., after leaving the nearby Hotel Richmond.

An NYPD spokeswoman said Orta and Ms. Lekaj were observed entering the hotel, an area known for drug activity, and exiting moments later. As officers from the Staten Island Narcotics Unit approached the pair, they observed Orta put an object in Ms. Lekaj's waistband, the spokeswoman said.

Police identified the object as an unloaded .25 caliber Norton handgun that had been reported stolen in Michigan in 2007, the spokeswoman said. Officers also found marijuana on Ms. Lekaj, she said.

Both Orta and Ms. Lekaj were charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Orta additionally was hit with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, for possessing a firearm with a previous conviction. Ms. Lekaj also faces marijuana possession charges, police said.

Orta, who has three other criminal cases pending, according to online court records, is likely to be arraigned Monday, a source with knowledge of the investigation said...

New York City Patrolmen's Benevolent Association president Patrick J. Lynch released a statement on Orta's arrest, linking it to the NYPD's response on July 17 that Orta caught on video.

"The arrest of Ramsey Orta for criminal possession of a firearm only underscores the dangers that brought police officers to respond to a chronic crime condition in that community," the statement reads. "Sadly, in the effort to keep neighborhoods like Tompkinsville safe, a tragedy occurred. But that doesn't change the fact that police officers routinely risk their lives for the benefit of the community and that they have earned their support and understanding."

Lynch added that by demonizing police officers for doing their job, it is "criminals like Mr. Orta who carry illegal firearms who stand to benefit the most."

Obviously, the timing of Mr. Orta's arrest is suspect. It follows the issuance of the medical report ruling that Eric Garner's death was a homicide. This arrest appears to be a naked effort to discredit Mr. Orta and to protect the NYPD. I would not be surprised if it was a set up. Unfortunately, many police officers will go a long way to protect their own.

Even if Mr. Orta's arrest is legitimate, it does not negate the facts.  The video footage is undeniable.  Those damn pigs basically lynched Eric Garner over some freaking cigarettes.