Krauthammer: Decision not to indict NYPD officer 'totally incomprehensible'

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Krauthammer: Garner

Charles Krauthammer told viewers Wednesday night that a grand jury's decision not to indict a New York City police officer in the death of Eric Garner is

Charles Krauthammer said Wednesday on "Special Report with Bret Baier" that a grand jury's decision not to indict a New York City police officer in the death of Eric Garner, an unarmed  black man who died in July after the officer placed him in a chokehold, is "totally incomprehensible."

"It looks like they at least might have indicted him on something like involuntary manslaughter at the very least," Krauthammer, a syndicated columnist and Fox News contributor, said. "The guy was unarmed, and the crime was petty as they come. He was selling loose cigarettes, which in and of itself is almost absurd that somebody has to die over that."

"From looking at the video," he added, "the grand jury's decision here is totally incomprehensible."

After the grand jury's decision, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Justice Department would launch a federal investigation into Garner's death.

However, Krauthammer said the probe may not change the outcome, due to the requirements needed for a federal investigation.

"Because of our history, that has to be a violation of civil rights, which implies that this was a racial incident," he said. "So in order to get the second investigation of this, without having double jeopardy, they have to squeeze this case into one of deliberate racism. And I don't know that there is any evidence for that."