Huffington Post – by Kim Bellware
New York City has settled a claim with Eric Garner’s family for $5.9 million in an effort by city officials to head off a full-blown lawsuit.
New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer on Monday announced the pre-litigation settlement in relation to the 43-year-old’s chokehold death in NYPD custody last July. The move is a strategy by Stringer’s office to save taxpayers the expense of a costly trial and provide closure to the victims’ families, according to The New York Times.
Earlier on Monday, several outlets reported that Garner’s widow had previously rejected a $5 million settlement offer from the city.
Garner’s family was originally seeking $75 million in damages when they filed a notice of claim — the first step in filing a lawsuit against the city — last October.
Garner’s death sparked national outrage and a debate on the policing of black citizens after cellphone video captured by a bystander showed NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo placing Garner in a chokehold while other officers wrestled him to the ground. Garner’s last words — “I can’t breathe!” — became a rallying cry among civil rights activist demanding police accountability and changes to police use of force against unarmed civilians.
Garner’s death was later ruled a homicide.
Stringer called the settlement “in the best interest of all parties.” While noting the city has not admitted liability in Garner’s death, Stringer said in a statement: “I believe that we have reached an agreement that acknowledges the tragic nature of Mr. Garner’s death while balancing my office’s fiscal responsibility to the City.”
The city’s decision comes just days before it hit a deadline activating the lawsuit.
A grand jury previously voted not to indict Pantaleo, though the Justice Department has an open inquiry into whether he violated Garner’s civil rights.
“We are all familiar with the events that lead to the death of Eric Garner and the extraordinary impact his passing has had on our City and our nation,” Stringer said. “It forced us to examine the state of race relations, and the relationship between our police force and the people they serve.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/13/eric-garner-settlement_n_7789402.html
trying to pay off guilt with fiat banker notes .. this world is sick
and the 5.9 mil is coming out of the Tax payers anyways so thanks so much for thinking about us
this proves guilt to me .. loud and clear
yeah, Enemy, this is hush money because they don’t want this in court. Sweep it under the rug so the public forgets about it.
“I believe that we have reached an agreement that acknowledges the tragic nature of Mr. Garner’s death while balancing my office’s fiscal responsibility to the City.”
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY???
Oh, right. You DID say to the City (any reason that is CAPITALIZED?), not to the people of “the City”.
“While noting the city has not admitted liability in Garner’s death,…”
They never do.
Not in the ‘contract’.
AND…they turn down the $5.9 million???
A source familiar with ongoing negotiations between Controller Scott Stringer and the family of the Staten Island man killed by an NYPD cop say that his widow, Esaw Garner, turned down the hefty offer last week.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/eric-garner-widow-rejects-city-5m-settlement-source-article-1.2290081
No problem. Just raise taxes to pay for it. Meanwhile the bad cops keep their jobs.