Eric Garner NYPD Choking Death Update; Police Issue First Report on Chokehold as Victim is Laid to Rest

As cries for justice continue to sound in the case of Eric Garner’s death at the hands of NYPD, the city's top cop has ordered all 35,000 of his officers retrained in the use of force.

News of the retraining comes on the heels of Tuesday's call for justice by activists and lawmakers, who used Garner's own words, "It ends today," to drive home the point about police brutality and misuse of force.

ity and state elected officials called for justice for Eric Garner outside of City Hall on Tuesday, as well as more cameras recording cops on city streets. Candlelight vigils were also held Tuesday night in anticipation of Garner's funeral Wednesday.

“In New York City, all street encounters should be videoed,” Public Advocate Tish James declared at a rally led by the City Council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus. “All street encounters should be videoed to avoid this from happening again.”

“This was a murder,” state Sen. Bill Perkins declared at a City Hall rally. “Without even being arrested, he was choked to death. It’s outrageous. It’s unacceptable.”

The medical examiner's office has not yet determined a cause of death in the case, but preliminary investigation found that there were no clear signs of asphyxiation, according to police.

An autopsy on the asthmatic father of six has also proved inconclusive, and a spokeswoman for the medical examiner said further tests would be needed.

Eric Garner, 43, died Thursday after cops tried to handcuff him for allegedly selling bootleg cigarettes on the sidewalk in Staten Island.

While initial police reports do not document the use of a chokehold to restrain Garner, a cell phone recording captured the asthmatic father of six repeating the words: "I can't breathe!"

Garner had a history with police, and appeared to be refusing to be handcuffed in the video. He can be seen waving his arms and yelling at police in the footage.

"Every time you see me you want to mess with me," Garner tells the cops in the video. "I'm tired of it. It stops today."

As officers attempt to restrain the 350 pound man, one cop can be seen in the video putting Garner in a chokehold, a move that is strictly prohibited by the NYPD.

Without the leaked video, the use of an illegal hold may never have been revealed, as no mention of the chokehold was made in the initial police report, according to documents obtained by the Daily News.

The initial police report also downplayed the seriousness of Garner's condition, raising questions about how the investigation would have been conducted had the graphic video of Garner's death not surfaced.

The viewing was scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at the Bethel Baptist Church, 265 Bergen St., Brooklyn, with the funeral to follow at the church at 7:15 p.m. Garner's viewing Civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton and Bishop Kareem Evans, who is Garner's cousin, are expected to speak at the funeral.