$5.9m payout for family of man who died after being put in chokehold
“The victory will come when we get justice,” Eric Garner’s mother Gwen Carr said a day after the $5.9m settlement was announced.
Garner’s death, along with the fatal shooting of an unarmed 18-year-old black man in Ferguson, Missouri, last August by a white police officer, sparked protests around the US by people outraged over police treatment of African-Americans.
“No sum of money can make this family whole, but hopefully the Garner family can find some peace and finality from today’s settlement,” mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.
New York comptroller Scott Stringer said that the settlement with Garner’s family was “in the best interest of all parties”, adding that the city did not admit liability.
Garner’s family had filed a claim in October seeking $75m in damages.
Jonathan Moore, an attorney representing Garner’s family, said the settlement ends litigation against the city. A separate settlement was reached with the hospital that employed emergency medical technicians who responded to the scene and did not aid Garner, he said in an emailed statement.
“We will continue to press for a federal prosecution against the officers involved in the death of Mr Garner,” Moore said.
A grand jury declined to indict Daniel Pantaleo, who placed Garner in the chokehold, a manoeuvre banned by New York City police.
The settlement comes roughly a week after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he will appoint a special prosecutor to handle investigations when civilians are killed during confrontations with police.
