On Monday Orta plead not-guilty on two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Of course Orta's past is being scrutinized as his bail was set for $75,000. Orta has a criminal record that includes two felony count convictions.
Orta adamantly denies being in possession of a gun and believes he was setup by the NYPD, as retaliation for his recording the death of Eric Garner. The tape was extremely critical in allowing us to see the true story of what took place in the moments leading up to Mr. Garner's death.
On Friday, the New York City Medical Examiner's office ruled that Mr. Garner's death was indeed cause by the officer's choke-hold and classified it as a homicide.
Honestly, I'm not sure I understand why Mr. Orta wasn't in his home or a place where he could control the people and happenings around him. He has to understand the significance or his recording and Mr. Garner's death. Why in the world would he be at that hotel on Saturday evening? What exactly was he doing there?
I don't care about Mr. Orta's criminal background. It's irrelevant to the issue at hand. I can't say for sure if the NYPD setup Mr. Orta, but the timing and description of charges seem very suspicious. I don't want this incident with Mr. Orta to deter others from doing the right thing because they have a criminal record.
Thoughts....
Is this a legitimate arrest or retaliation by the NYPD?