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Randolph McLaughlin, a law professor at Pace Law School and civil rights attorney, agreed.

"The grand jury is a tool of the prosecutor. At a minimum, it was negligent, it was reckless, it was some level of homicide. Surely they click here could have indicted this my site officer on any number of charges and let the public hear, let a trial happen, expose to the light of day what went on here. This man is a public servant, and he committed these acts as a public servant, wearing the uniform of a public servant, and he should be called to account for it."

In a statement, DA Donovan noted that he is barred from disclosing any details surrounding what took place during the grand jury proceeding, but that he petitioned for the information to be released on a court order.

Jeffrey Fagan, a law professor at Columbia who specializes in police click here accountability and criminal law, says he was "not surprised" by the grand jury's decision.

"It’s politically costly for Dan Donovan to indict a police officer on Staten Island. He can easily shift the political and legal burden to the Department of Justice to decide whether to pursue criminal charges. He’s washed his hands of blog it."

Cohen was my site skeptical that the federal government would pursue charges against Pantaleo.

"You see these things coming one after another after another after another, you hear black parents being afraid to let their children go out in the street in day or night, maybe that will tip the balance. But I fear that's my own naiveté speaking."

McLaughlin, who has handled cases of wrongful death involving the police since 1997, said he was "almost speechless" after hearing about the grand jury's decision.