By Juan Soto
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria) agreed Thursday with the decision of the Justice Department to open an investigation into the death of Eric Garner, the Staten Island man who died in a police chokehold.
“The Justice Department is right to open a civil rights investigation into the tragic death of Eric Garner,” said the congresswoman. “There is something terribly wrong with our system if we cannot get an indictment in a death that the New York City medical examiner ruled a homicide.”
Garner died last July when a cop put him in a chokehold during his arrest for allegedly selling loose cigarettes.
The investigation will be led by U.S. Eastern District Attorney Loretta Lynch, President Obama’s nominee to become next US Attorney General.
The decision came Wednesday, the same day a grand jury decided not to indict the police officer involved in Garner’s death.
“To say that it’s not even worth a trial to determine if the officers involved committed a crime is shocking and creates the impression that there are no limits on police action even when unarmed people are killed,” said Maloney.
U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) said he was “disappointed” with the grand jury decision to clear the cop of any criminal charges.
