The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association held its first press conference since a grand jury chose not to indict the officer in the Eric Garner case.

PBA President Patrick Lynch called the grand jury's decision "courageous" and defended Officer Daniel Pantaleo, calling him a "mature" police officer.

Lynch defended Pantaleo's actions in the video and said the officer was performing a "seatbelt" maneuver on Garner while trying to arrest him. While he called the situation and Garner's death a tragedy, Lynch said it shows police are out to protect and not harm. He also said the NYPD needs the support of City Hall to show how important it is to follow an officer's orders.

"We need to teach our children and everyone, you cannot resist arrest," said Lynch. "Even if you believe that the arrest is unjust, there's mechanisms in place to do that. There's mechanisms in place to complain."

Lynch said he's not concerned about the federal probe into Garner's death, saying the facts have spoken for themselves. Lynch expects a similar outcome in the Justice Department's investigation.