Eric Garner, an unarmed 43-year-old African-American male, was choked to death on July 17, 2014, by an NYPD police officer after being arrested for selling untaxed cigarettes. Many news reports including NY Daily News stated that Eric Garner yelled “I can’t breathe”, repeatedly after at least 5 NYPD officers took him down in front of a Tompkinsville beauty supply store when he recoiled at being handcuffed. Within only a few moments Garner stopped struggling and appeared unconscious as police called paramedics to the scene. The Department of Justice posted a statement from the Attorney General Holder regarding the investigation on December 3rd, 2014. In the statement, the Attorney General stated that the local investigation concluded that they grand jury declined to return a formal accusation in the case, so the Justice Department would proceed with a federal civil rights investigation.
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In addition, it was also specified that the NYPD bans the use of chokeholds in an arrest. Like the Trayvon Martin’s case, federal prosecutors and investigators were in a disagreement over the strength of evidence in the death of Eric Garner, particularly that there was inconclusive evidence over the amount of force used and how long the chokehold was to kill Garner. The investigation is however still ongoing but recent changed may have sparked a hold. Attorney General Loretta Lynch stepped down without the Justice Department having charged or cleared police officers in the death of Eric Garner. The Chicago Tribune posted an article from the Washington Post concerning the attorney. Lynch authorized the department to continue with the investigation but made the decision so late in her tenure that lawyers and investigators could not take all the necessary steps to procure a formal
In addition, it was also specified that the NYPD bans the use of chokeholds in an arrest. Like the Trayvon Martin’s case, federal prosecutors and investigators were in a disagreement over the strength of evidence in the death of Eric Garner, particularly that there was inconclusive evidence over the amount of force used and how long the chokehold was to kill Garner. The investigation is however still ongoing but recent changed may have sparked a hold. Attorney General Loretta Lynch stepped down without the Justice Department having charged or cleared police officers in the death of Eric Garner. The Chicago Tribune posted an article from the Washington Post concerning the attorney. Lynch authorized the department to continue with the investigation but made the decision so late in her tenure that lawyers and investigators could not take all the necessary steps to procure a formal