Gwen Carr, Mother of Eric Garner, Responds to the CCRB Filing for the Unsealing of Grand Jury Minutes as Part of Their Disciplinary Case Against NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo

New York, NY – Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, released the following statement tonight responding to news reports that the CCRB filed for the unsealing of grand jury minutes as part of their disciplinary case against NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo:

"I'm glad that the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) is vigorously pursuing their disciplinary case against Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who murdered my son Eric with a chokehold that's been banned by the NYPD for over 20 years. As they request these files, I hope for a speedy, fair and positive outcome - unlike the long-overdue, unfair process that the NYPD has been using to protect officers who are responsible for Eric's death. All of the NYPD officers who were responsible for killing Eric, and related misconduct should be fired. Officer Pantaleo and Sgt. Kizzy Adonis are the only two officers who currently have pending disciplinary charges. But they are not the only NYPD officers who should lose their jobs.

NYPD officers Justin Damico, Mark Ramos, and Craig Furlani were all reportedly involved in killing my son - by either failing to intervene or compressing his chest while handcuffing him. Also, Sgt. Dhanan Saminath failed to supervise, and then reportedly claimed in an official police report that Eric “did not appear to be in great distress,” a claim that anyone who has seen the shocking video of the killing is free to judge for themselves. 

Those are just the names of NYPD officers we know. Mayor de Blasio has allowed the NYPD to withhold the names of other officers involved in my son’s murder, who may have failed to intervene, or who tried to cover it up. It’s time for de Blasio to stop enabling a blatant NYPD cover-up that allows officers to get away with murder. 

I call on de Blasio and the NYPD to immediately fire Pantaleo and all of the other officers who were responsible for misconduct related to my son's murder."

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About Communities United for Police Reform: 

Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) is an unprecedented campaign to end discriminatory policing practices in New York, and to build a lasting movement that promotes public safety and policing practices based on cooperation and respect– not discriminatory targeting and harassment.

CPR brings together a movement of community members, lawyers, researchers and activists to work for change. The partners in this campaign come from all 5 boroughs, from all walks of life and represent many of those unfairly targeted the most by the NYPD. CPR is fighting for reforms that will promote community safety while ensuring that the NYPD protects and serves all New Yorkers.

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