Eric Garner

Eric Garner died after an NYPD officer used a prohibited chokehold during an attempted arrest in Staten Island on July 17, 2014.

What happened

On July 17, 2014 NYPD officers confronted Eric Garner in Staten Island over allegations that he sold untaxed cigarettes. Officer Daniel Pantaleo restrained Garner around the neck as several officers forced him to the pavement. Bystander video documented Garner repeatedly saying he could not breathe. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide involving neck compression and chest pressure, with medical conditions also contributing. Garner's final words and the recorded arrest became a rallying cry against excessive force and racial disparities in policing. His family, including mother Gwen Carr, has continued organizing for independent accountability and reforms to police restraint practices.

Investigation & findings

NYPD internal investigators found Pantaleo had used a chokehold barred by department policy; he was later fired. A Staten Island grand jury declined indictment, DOJ declined federal civil-rights charges in 2019, and New York City previously reached a $5.9 million civil settlement with the family.

What happened

Investigation & findings

Sources & records