Killing of Eric Garner facts for kids

On July 17, 2014, a man named Eric Garner, who was 43 years old, died in Staten Island, New York City. A police officer named Daniel Pantaleo from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) was arresting him. During the arrest, the officer used a move called a chokehold, which is not allowed.

A video of what happened spread widely and made many people across the country ask questions. They wondered about how much force police officers should use.

Police officers approached Eric Garner on July 17 because they thought he was selling single cigarettes without the proper tax stamps. Garner told the police he was tired of being bothered and was not selling cigarettes. The officers then tried to arrest him.

When Officer Pantaleo put his hands on Garner, Garner pulled his arms away. Pantaleo then put his arm around Garner's neck and brought him to the ground. Several officers held Garner down. While he was lying on the sidewalk, face down, Garner said "I can't breathe" 11 times.

After Garner became unconscious, he stayed on the sidewalk for seven minutes. The officers waited for an ambulance to arrive. About an hour later, Garner was declared dead at a nearby hospital.

Understanding Eric Garner's Death

Medical Findings

A medical examiner looked into Eric Garner's death. They officially said his death was a homicide. This means his death was caused by the actions of another person or people.

An autopsy showed that Garner died because of "compression of neck, compression of chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police". This means pressure on his neck and chest, and how he was held down, led to his death. Other health issues like asthma, heart disease, and obesity were also mentioned as things that contributed to what happened.

Grand Jury Decision and Aftermath

On December 4, 2014, a special group called a grand jury decided not to bring charges against Officer Pantaleo. This decision caused many protests and rallies across the country. People accused the police of using too much force, which is called police brutality.

By the end of 2014, at least 50 protests had taken place nationwide because of Eric Garner's case. Many other protests against police brutality also focused on his death.

In July 2015, Eric Garner's family reached an agreement. The City of New York paid the family $5.9 million as a settlement. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice decided not to bring federal charges against Pantaleo.

A hearing was held by the New York Police Department about Pantaleo's actions. On August 2, 2019, a judge suggested that Pantaleo should be fired. Pantaleo was officially fired on August 19, 2019, more than five years after Eric Garner died.

Reactions to the Event

Public Protests

People in Chicago protesting the grand jury's decision in December 2014.

After the grand jury decided not to charge Officer Pantaleo, people in New York City and San Francisco protested. They held "die-ins," where people lie down as if dead to make a point. They also gave speeches and held rallies.

Thousands of people protested in Boston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Minneapolis, and Atlanta. Many people were arrested in New York City for blocking streets. Protests also happened in Berkeley, California, and even in London, England, to show support.

Protesters used Eric Garner's last words, "I can't breathe", as a powerful slogan. They chanted it during protests against police brutality. By December 28, 2014, at least 50 protests related to Garner's death had happened worldwide. Many other Black Lives Matter protests also took place.

Some people also held counter-protests to support the police. In New York City, supporters of the NYPD wore shirts that said, "I can breathe, thanks to the NYPD." They held signs saying "Bluelivesmatter" and chanted, "Don't resist arrest."

Eric Garner's death is often mentioned as one of the reasons for the Black Lives Matter movement. This movement protests police actions against African Americans.

Police Response

After Eric Garner's death, Police Commissioner William Bratton ordered a review of the NYPD's training. They looked at how much force officers should use when arresting someone.

Patrick Lynch, who leads a police union, disagreed that a chokehold was used. He said that experts would agree it wasn't a chokehold. Police union officials and Pantaleo's lawyer said Pantaleo used a police-taught move because Garner was resisting arrest. They also said officers didn't perform CPR because Garner was still breathing on his own.

Some police officers showed their support for the police. An officer in Indiana sold T-shirts saying "Breathe Easy. Don't Break the Law." A San Jose police officer tweeted controversial comments supporting police actions.

Family's Feelings

Eric Garner's daughter, Erica Garner, felt that pride, not racism, led to her father's death. She held a vigil and a "die-in" in Staten Island where her father died. She promised to keep protesting there twice a week. Sadly, Erica Garner passed away on December 30, 2017, at age 27.

Another of Garner's daughters, Emerald Snipes, started a fund for his children for Christmas. Eric Garner used to dress up as Santa Claus for them. Erica and Emerald, along with Garner's widow Esaw and stepfather Ben Carr, attended a "Justice for All March" in Washington, D.C.

After the grand jury decision, Garner's widow, Esaw, was asked if she accepted Pantaleo's apologies. She said, "No, I don't accept his apology. He's still working. He's still getting a paycheck. He's still feeding his kids, when my husband is six feet under."

Garner's mother, Gwen Carr, was surprised and disappointed by the grand jury's decision.

Politicians' Views

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called Garner's death a "terrible tragedy." He met with police officers and activists, asking for respect and understanding. He urged everyone to talk and "heal the wounds from decades of mistrust." Some activists criticized the mayor for not firing the officers involved.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo suggested that New York State should have a special prosecutor for cases of alleged police brutality. He said, "We have a problem. Let's acknowledge it."

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the Department of Justice was watching the investigations closely.

Two U.S. Presidents also spoke about Garner's death. Barack Obama said Garner's death and its legal outcome were an "American problem." He added that it showed bigger issues of trust between police and people. Former U.S. President George W. Bush said he found the grand jury outcome "hard to understand" and "very sad."

Celebrity Reactions

Many famous people reacted to Eric Garner's death. The music artist Kxng Crooked recorded a tribute song called "I Can't Breathe." The cover art showed an image of Garner.

After the grand jury decision, many professional athletes wore "I can't breathe" T-shirts during warmups. These included NFL players like Reggie Bush and LeBron James from the NBA. The Phoenix Suns basketball team also wore the shirts. President Obama and Attorney General Holder praised LeBron James for wearing the shirt.

College basketball teams, like the Georgetown University men's team and the University of Notre Dame women's team, also wore "I can't breathe" shirts.

Film director Spike Lee paid tribute to Garner. He showed footage of Garner's death alongside a scene from his film Do the Right Thing. In the film, a character dies in a similar way.

The title of Terence Blanchard's 2015 music album Breathless was inspired by Garner's last words.

Matt Taibbi wrote a book in 2017 called I Can't Breathe: A Killing on Bay Street.

Legal Actions and New Laws

Civil Lawsuit Outcome

In October 2014, Eric Garner's family announced they would file a lawsuit. They wanted to sue New York City and the police department for wrongful death. They asked for $75 million in damages.

On July 13, 2015, the city and the family reached an agreement. The City of New York paid the Garner family $5.9 million in an out-of-court settlement. Garner's widow had previously turned down an offer of $5 million.

New York State Law

On June 8, 2020, New York State passed a new law called the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act. This law says that any police officer in New York who hurts or kills someone using a "chokehold or similar restraint" can be charged with a serious crime. They could face up to 15 years in prison. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed this police reform into law on June 12, 2020, calling it "long overdue."

In Popular Culture

The song "Loyal Like Sid & Nancy" by Foster the People, released in 2017, includes the lyric "I can't breathe". It is partly about Eric Garner's death and the Black Lives Matter movement.

In 2018, a crime-drama movie called Monsters and Men was released. Its main story is about a Black man who sells cigarettes being killed by police. An onlooker films it, and the video gets a lot of attention. Many film reviews said the movie was inspired by Eric Garner's death because of the strong similarities.

See also

In Spanish: Muerte de Eric Garner para niños