by
Reagan Ali
countercurrentnews.com

New York City officials say that the family of Eric Garner just rejected their cash settlement offer of $5,000,000. The money was offered in order to settle a suit filed in the wrongful death of Garner, 43, after an NYPD police officer choked him to death for selling loose cigarettes in New York City.

The Garner family is said to have refused the NYPD offer, saying that they will ask instead for a more punishing suit of $75 million within the week.

That suit has to be filed by the 17th of this month, which is the anniversary of Garner’s death.

New York’s top finance official, Scott Stringer, offered the family the $5 million payout, if they promise not to sue the police or the city, according to the New York Daily News.

Garner’s widow Esaw Garner, said there is no way they would let the NYPD get away with killing Garner and paying such a relatively small amount.

Garner’s death made international headlines, after the NYPD put him in a chokehold over nothing other than selling untaxed cigarettes. Garner went into cardiac arrest and died in custody.

As in many cases of police killings, there is a federal probe into Garner’s death, being carried out by the Justice Department, but few expect any meaningful findings to arise from this investigation.

Garner’s last words of “I can’t breathe” were yelled, gasped and choked out 11 times before he passed out. Those words have now become rallying cries in protests across the nation, standing up against police brutality and murder.

 

By CCNM

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