NYPD cop Daniel Pantaleo couldn’t believe his ears when he heard that a Staten Island grand jury voted not to indict him in the chokehold death of Eric Garner, his defense lawyer said Wednesday.

“He actually told me to repeat it two or three times, because it was like an out-of-body experience for him,” said lawyer Stuart London.

Pantaleo “was as emotional as he’s ever been,” London said, but the lawyer wouldn’t say if the cop actually broke down in tears.

In a statement released through his union, Pantaleo said, “I became a police officer to help people and to protect those who can’t protect themselves.

“It is never my intention to harm anyone, and I feel very bad about the death of Mr. Garner,” he added. “My family and I include him and his family in our prayers, and I hope that they will accept my personal condolences for their loss.”

During his testimony before the grand jury, Pantaleo denied using a chokehold on Garner, saying he applied “a takedown move as he was taught in the [Police] Academy,” London said.

In the wake of the grand jury’s decision, Pantaleo will face a federal civil-rights probe, said US Attorney General Eric Holder, who vowed “an independent, thorough, fair and expeditious investigation.”

Pantaleo is also being investigated by the Internal Affairs Bureau.

After a department trial, the Police Department Advocate’s Office would make recommendations to Commissioner Bill Bratton as to whether Pantaleo should be fired, disciplined or go unpunished.

A police source said it’s likely that the advocate will recommend that Pantaleo be disciplined.