Eric Garner
Eric Garner (1970-2014) was a father of 6, beloved by his community in New York City. He was 6'3 and 350lbs, described as a 'gentle giant' and 'a big teddy bear' by people in the area. Jewel Miller, the mother of his youngest daughter, told reporters that "he was a great dad - he's just a warm guy". He worked in horticulture before quitting for health reasons and afterward was known to sell cigarettes for a living. Police often targeted him; he was arrested over thirty times in his life for low-level offenses. He is survived by his mother Gwen Carr, his wife of 20 years Esaw Snipes, and his daughter Emerald Snipes-Garner.
He passed away on July 17th, 2014, at the age of 43. The death was ruled a homicide by medical examiners. Witnesses state he was apprehended by undercover police officers in Staten Island after breaking up a fight. The officers accused him of selling individual untaxed cigarettes, which is a crime in New York. He resisted arrest, saying he was tired of being harassed. NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo then put him in an illegal chokehold. Multiple officers then pinned him to the ground and held him there until he lost consciousness. He did not fight back and was unarmed. His last words, "I can't breathe," became a rallying call for civil rights protesters. It darkly echoes the last words of so many other men and women killed by law enforcement since. Eric Garner's death was documented on cell phone video by Ramsey Orta, who was arrested on weapons charges only a month after the video went online. Orta was released from prison in May 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Multiple officers then pinned him to the ground and held him there until he lost consciousness. He did not fight back and was unarmed. His last words, "I can't breathe," became a rallying cry for civil rights protesters.
Eric Garner's family has been protesting for justice ever since his death six years ago. On July 13th, 2015, the family settled a lawsuit against the city for 5.9 million. There were no developments in the case until 2018, when disciplinary hearings against Daniel Pantaleo began. On July 16th, 2019, a day before the five year anniversary of Garner's death, federal prosecutors announced that they would not charge Pantaleo for Eric Garner's murder. The NYPD fired Pantaleo in August 2019. He will not be receiving a pension.
Author: Samar Tajuddin
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Resources
https://abcnews.go.com/US/eric-garner-george-floyd-12-black-lives-lost/story?id=70999321
https://time.com/5642648/eric-garner-death-daniel-pantaleo-suspended/
https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/what-killed-eric-garner
https://www.nj.com/news/2020/06/eric-garners-mom-at-nj-protest-there-are-so-many-stolen-lives.html
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/video-dept/eric-garners-family-is-still-grieving
https://www.silive.com/news/2014/07/he_was_a_great_dad_says_family.html
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/garner-eric-1970-2014/