Garner was a criminal. It is obvious from the video that he resisted arrest. He was much bigger than the cops who tried to subdue him.
And the reason he died were his underlying health problems, not the way he was subdued. It's not like he was choked to death, it's that he had a cardiac arrest while struggling with the police while having asthma and a heart condition.
You are wrong. Considering how many times the cause of death has been confirmed : compression of both trachea and chest. His death was caused by an actual choke-hold which placed constant pressure on his trachea and weight pressure on his thorax as he was brought down to the ground on his chest and MAINTAINED forcefully in that position. To be noted that even as he was maintained on the ground, his thorax in full contact with the ground and full weight (his own as well as police officers pushing down on him, increasing the pressure on his torso), Officer Panteleo was still choke holding him.Inevitably, respiration was interrupted due to the compression of the trachea and aggravated by the weight pressure on his thorax or compressive asphyxia.
As the result of his prolonged asphyxia, generalized hypoxia affecting all of his organs. Generalized meaning that a vital organ such as the heart will be affected. He went in cardiac arrest.