“These Stunts Are Harming My Family and the City”: In Forceful Statement, Gwen Carr, Eric Garner’s Mother, Condemns Daniel Pantaleo’s Lawyers for Trying to Block His Upcoming Trial, and Help Him Avoid Accountability for Killing Garner

New York, NY – Gwen Carr, Eric Garner’s mother, released the statement below after today's NYPD hearing ahead of the upcoming disciplinary trial of NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo for killing Garner.  

At the hearing earlier today, Pantaleo’s police union attorneys engaged in another round of desperate stunts to try to delay the trial, help Pantaleo avoid accountability for his role in Garner’s death, and to attempt to set harmful precedents seeking to limit discipline against NYPD officers. Ms. Carr fired back at these last-minute legal maneuvers in a statement.

“I’m outraged, and I’m in pain. My family and I have been fighting for nearly five years to get any justice or accountability for Eric’s death. It’s time for Pat Lynch, Daniel Pantaleo’s police union lawyers, and the PBA to stop playing games and using dirty tricks to try to delay the upcoming trial where Pantaleo must be held accountable for killing my son Eric,” said Ms. Carr.

“These last-minute, non-stop stunts are harming my family and the city. It’s clear that the police union and Pantaleo’s attorneys will do everything they can to try to block this upcoming trial, and prevent real accountability for the actions that killed my son and related misconduct that tried to cover up the killing. I won’t stand for it, and neither should the city – including Mayor de Blasio and other elected officials. It’s outrageous and wrong that Pantaleo’s lawyers are raising baseless questions about the validity of the discipline charges brought against him - especially at the very last minute," said Ms. Carr. 

"And it’s deeply offensive and insulting that they requested a vacation day for Pantaleo on the first Friday of the trial. Pantaleo should have been fired years ago, but instead has profited after murdering my son, with six-figure annual pay - my son can no longer take vacation days, the least Pantaleo can do is attend his own trial without interruption. These stunts need to stop. My family deserves better and so does the entire city. What happens with Pantaleo’s trial will have serious implications for future efforts to hold NYPD officers accountable when they engage in misconduct and commit murder,” said Ms. Carr.

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