23 year old Ramsey Orta was placed on a $100,000 bail after he was pushed into an unforgiving spotlight for filming the fatal and illegal choke hold by NYPD officers that sparked worldwide outrage. The power was really with “the people” however as bond has been raised and the Man Who Taped Eric Garner’s Death Released From Prison Thanks to Online Campaign. You can’t imagine what he’s been through since…
As more and more social injustices come to light more focus is going on the people who capture them on tape. As we’re seeing yet again by the Walter Scott case having such evidence is crucial for the rest of us to see for ourselves, but at the same time their significance can prove useless in “the court of law.” Caught in the trap of that same court of law is Man Who Taped Eric Garner’s Death Released From Prison Thanks to Online Campaign, who has been in his own version of hell since his heroic effort.
If you’re wondering why the Man Who Taped Eric Garner’s Death Released From Prison Thanks to Online Campaign was imprisoned in the first place he points out his criminal past was a motivation for authorities to put him away aggressively. The NY Daily News and Vlad TV report he’d spent the past couple months at the notorious Rikers Island facility for the alleged sale of drugs to undercover agents. But this was not a simple case of caught, convicted, serving time and being released–Ramsey says he and his family have received multiple death threats from police supporters since it all went down. He was also on a hunger strike in prison before living off vending machine snacks for alleged rat poison in his food, at the same time the DA tried to block the online campaign as “illegal” and his lawyer stated prosecutors were “playing games.”
“The man who filmed the infamous cell phone video of Garner being taken down in a fatal police chokehold last July had claimed he’s been targeted by cops ever since. He was hit with a gun rap weeks after the video became public and relatives have said the family is being harassed to this day. Authorities say they have Orta on video selling drugs on nine occasions and also charged his mom and brother.”
(SMH)…the fund for the Man Who Taped Eric Garner’s Death Released From Prison Thanks to Online Campaign raised $47,000 and covered a $12,000 bond to get him out at the least–the rest of the money will be used in his defense. A few positive things out of this entire experience are: (1) That “money talks” and people do have power, giving money for ‘something good’ and supporting the justice of a person in the face of opposition even from the NYPD itself. (2) That Ramsey Orta decided in prison to dedicate the rest of his life to a career in political journalism and videography. He says he’ll spend his time on various projects moving forward. That’s definitely a step in the right direction for him, the group #win, and something the Eric Garner family can be proud of.
Check the vid and the gallery up top for more.
