Washington, D.C. – On the four-year anniversary of Eric Garner’s death at the hands of officer Daniel Pantaleo, the New York City Police Department announced intentions to pursue disciplinary actions against officers involved in the case, giving the Department of Justice until August 31 to publicly announce its decisions about potential criminal charges in Garner’s death.
Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, issued the following statement in response:
“Four years after“I can’t breathe” became the rallying cry against police brutality, Eric Garner’s death at the hands of the NYPD, goes unpunished. Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who held Garner in a banned chokehold tactic, remains on NYPD payroll. The Justice Department never announced results of its federal investigation, and the NYPD is only now moving to review Officer Pantaelo’s conduct. At every level, our justice system is failing to fully end effectively confront the use of deadly force against unarmed African Americans and the death of Eric Garner is emblematic of this ongoing crisis.”
