NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton
In response to the death of Mr. Eric Garner who was put in a chokehold on July 17 by a NYPD officer, the NAACP has released the following statements.
“The death of Mr. Eric Garner is a deeply troubling tragedy,” said Cornell William Brooks, NAACP President and CEO. “The use of an apparently illegal chokehold by police officers on a citizen demands a thorough investigation by every appropriate body as quickly as possible. Anything less, or anything later, is unacceptable. The NAACP will not rest until justice is served for Mr. Garner, his family, and the citizens of New York.”
Hazel Dukes, President of the NAACP New York State Conference added: “Our hearts go out to the family of Eric Garner, who senselessly lost their loved one at the hands of an officer, whose job was to serve and protect,” said Hazel N. Dukes, President of the New York State Conference of the NAACP. “Communities of color are sick and tired of this familiar story. Mr. Garner is one of too many New Yorkers who have unjustly had their lives cut short by police officers over the past decades. The NAACP is committed to working with Mayor De Blasio and Commissioner Bratton to ensure that justice is served and mechanisms are put in place to prevent these types of tragedies from happening again in our city.”
Dr. Niaz Kasravi, NAACP Criminal Justice Director said, “In recent months, we have witnessed a troublesome reliance on ‘broken windows’ style policing, where officers target low level offenders under the misguided assumption that this tactic will ultimately create safer communities and reduce violent crimes. This tragedy is a grim reminder that aggressive over-policing of apparent low level offenses does not work and will ultimately lead to unnecessary and tragic outcomes. The only proven method to reduce violence is for officer to focus on violent crime incidents, use reliable policing tactics, and work with members of the community to create greater safety for all.”
