Eric Garner’s Death: Black Lives Matter Activist Erica Garner Dies Aged 27
Eric Garner’s daughter, Erica, who became a civil rights activist against police brutality after the death of her father in 2014, has died aged 27.
Three years ago, a video of Eric Garner, in a police chokehold complaining he could not breathe, sparked national protests.
Erica Garner became a prominent member of the Black Lives Matter movement following her father’s death.
She had been in a coma since December 23 after suffering a heart attack triggered by an asthma attack.
Erica Garner’s official Twitter account, being run by her family, said she had suffered major brain damage from a lack of oxygen.
A tweet posted to her account said: “When you report this you remember she was human: mother, daughter, sister, aunt. Her heart was bigger than the world. It really really was.”
“She cared when most people wouldn’t have. She was good. She only pursued right, no matter what. No one gave her justice.”
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Forty-three-year-old father-of-six Eric Garner was detained by police for allegedly selling loose cigarettes on Staten Island in July 2014.
Eric Garner also had asthma, and was filmed telling officers multiple times: “I can’t breathe.”
His words became a rallying cry for Black Lives Matter protesters, and the video of the arrest made headlines around the world.
Eric Garner’s death was ruled a homicide by medical examiners, but a grand jury did not charge any arresting officers in the case.
In a 2015 civil lawsuit, New York City agreed to pay $5.9 million to Eric Garner’s family.
Erica Garner was a mother-of-two, and had a son in August whom she named after her father.