Daniel Pantaleo, the police officer who put Eric Garner, an African American, in a deadly chokehold has been fired.
This was announced by the New York Police Department (NYPD) commissioner.
The police department's statement on the firing fell short of expressing an intention to press criminal charges against the officer.
"“It was an extremely difficult decision. I’ve been a cop for a long time. If I was still a cop, I’d probably be mad at me," John O'Neill said according to the Washington Post.
Pantaleo's sacking will come as a slight relief to Black Lives Matter protesters who have been pushing for the officer to be punished.
A shocking video showed Pantaleo putting in Mr Garner in a chokehold and not letting go in spite Garner saying he couldn't breathe.
Members of the Black Lives Matter have decried the unequal treatment by law enforcement officers to black men.
They have been calling for an overhaul of the US criminal justice system to deal with the bias against blacks.
The US Justice Department declined to pursue criminal charges against Pantaleo, quashing hopes that Pantaleo might be subjected to legal punishment.
His firing comes just two weeks after a police administrative judge found that he acted in violation of the NYPD's ban on chokeholds, the New York Times reported.