[Criminal Justice News]
Eric Garner’s mother, Gwen Carr, says Mayor de Blasio “has been dragging his heels and obstructing accountability at every turn for the past five years.”
Photo: YouTube
Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner, condemned the decision not to convict Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the unjust killing of her son. Carr is calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio to hold the NYPD accountable, which includes firing Pantaleo and other officers responsible for misconduct.
On Thursday, July 18, Carr spoke to de Blasio in a meeting. She issued the following statement:
“I spoke to the Mayor and told him that Daniel Pantaleo, Justin D’Amico, Sgt. Kizzy Adonis, and every other officer who engaged in misconduct related to the murder of my son should have been fired years ago and must be fired now. It is outrageous that I have had to be fighting for five years to get the Mayor to do his job to make sure that there is accountability when the NYPD murders our children.
“The Mayor has been dragging his heels and obstructing accountability at every turn for the past five years – including letting his NYPD block CCRB charges against Pantaleo for almost a year, not charging any of the other officers who helped kill my son and tried to cover it up, and also not even scheduling the discipline trial of Adonis, who’s had discipline charges for years.
“Actions speak louder than words and so far I still haven’t seen action. Right after talking to the Mayor I protested outside his house because I will not be satisfied with conversations or just some kind of access to him — I want to see action and will not stop fighting for my son until Pantaleo and all the other officers who did wrong are fired.”
On the fifth anniversary of the unjust killing of Eric Garner — and one day after the DOJ’s refusal to bring federal charges against Officer Daniel Pantaleo — Gwen Carr, Make the Road New York’s Youth Power Project, Rockaway Youth Task Force, and other Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), members and partners, held a youth-led rally and march on July 17, 2019 to call on Mayor de Blasio and the NYPD to end their obstruction and delays and move to fire all officers responsible for misconduct in Garner’s killing.
“We have been failed by every level of the justice system but we will not stop fighting for Eric,” said Gwen Carr and Ellisha Flagg-Garner. “It is past time for Mayor de Blasio to fire Daniel Pantaleo, Justin D’Amico, Sgt. Kizzy Adonis, Lt. Christopher Bannon, Mark Ramos, Craig Furlani and others who engaged in serious misconduct surrounding the murder of Eric. They should not be police officers and New Yorkers should not be paying their salary increases, year after year. Keeping them on the NYPD makes all of us less safe because they are dangerous. It sends the message that officers who kill, lie in official reports, falsify charges, refuse to intervene or provide aid will be protected by NYC. We will not stop fighting until there is accountability for Eric and for all New Yorkers.”
The event, 5 YEARS LATER – WE ARE #ERICGARNER began at 4:00 p.m. at Foley Square in downtown Manhattan.
In 2014, Pantaleo killed Eric Garner with a chokehold that has been banned by the NYPD for over two decades. On Tuesday, July 16, the Justice Department announced they will not bring federal charges against Pantaleo.
Ms. Carr is calling on the NYPD to fire not only Pantaleo but all other officers responsible for misconduct related to the killing of Eric Garner and attempts to cover it up.
Hundreds of youth and others marched with coffins and signs demanding the firing of officers responsible for misconduct in Eric Garner’s killing. They were joined by CPR members, and partners including: Make the Road New York, Rockaway Youth Task Force, Brotherhood/SisterSol, FIERCE, DRUM, Girls for Gender Equity, NYCLU, Churches United for Fair Housing, Future of Tomorrow, Groundswell, Justice Committee, MomsRising, Arab American Association of NY and others.
