Eric Garner was an African American man born on September 15, 1970. He passed away at 44 years old due to police brutality on July 17, 2014. Before his passing, Eric Garner was a horticulturist at the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Garner was husband to Esaw Garner. He was a father of six and grandfather of three. At the time of his death, Garner had a three-month-old child. He was the neighborhood peacemaker, a kind and generous person within his community.
On July 17, NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo approached Eric Garner. Officer Pantaleo had thought Eric Garner was selling single cigarettes without a tax stamp. Pantaleo informed Garner that he was arresting him for selling single cigarettes. A back and forth argument ensued between Garner and Pantaleo, where Garner stated that he was not selling single cigarettes and that he was tired of being harassed. Officer Pantaleo proceeded to place his hands on Garner, which Garner pulled away. In response, Pantaleo placed Garner into a chokehold and wrestled him onto the ground. While face down on the pavement, Garner repeated the words, “I can’t breathe.” 11 times. Garner lost consciousness and remained unconscious on the ground for seven minutes while the surrounding police officers waited for the paramedics to arrive. Garner was pronounced dead one hour later at a local hospital in Staten Island, New York.
Due to the nature of his death, Pantaleo faced immediate repercussions. He was stripped of his weapon, his badge and put on desk duty. He was no longer allowed to be out on the field. Five years later, the NYPD fired Pantaleo on August 19, 2019. Garner’s passing has led to some legislative changes within New York. On June 8, 2020, the New York State Assembly passed the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act. The act states that,
Any police officer in the State of New York who injures or kills somebody through the use of a chokehold or similar restraint can be charged a class C felony, punishable by up 15 years in prison.
NY State Senate Bill S6670B
The most common occurrence with the death of unarmed African American are protests against police brutality. Soon after Garner’s passing, many people organized protests. One notable person is Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr., otherwise known as Al Sharpton. Sharpton is an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister; he was outraged with the crimes committed against Eric Garner. He organized protests which sparked a passion in the community. These protests led to many more subsequent Black Lives Matter protests. These protests helped enlighten the injustice towards the black community with the hope of fixing these problems.