New York City agrees to pay $5.9m (£3.8m) to Eric Garner’s family who died after a violent arrest.
Garner, who had asthma, reportedly died in hospital after a police officer performed a chokehold on him for selling loose cigarettes outside a store on Staten Island.
The arrest was captured on video and Garner’s words “I can’t breathe” became a slogan for protesters nationwide.
It is to be noted that Garner’s death was just one of many controversial cases in the US where unarmed black people have been killed by white police officers.
New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer said “Following a judicious review of the claim and facts of this case, my office was able to reach a settlement with the estate of Eric Garner that is in the best interests of all parties.”
The Garner family and the Reverend Al Sharpton said “This is not about people getting money… This is about justice – we’ve got to restructure our police departments – and how we deal with policing nationwide.”
