Six years ago today, Eric Garner was killed in Staten Island by a New York City police officer, Daniel Pantaleo, who tackled him to the ground and put him in a chokehold—a practice that had been banned by the NYPD since 1983.
But a jury decided not to indict Daniel for the killing, devastating Eric's loved ones and stirring public protests and rallies across the country.
Over the past few years, Eric’s widow, Esaw Snipes Garner, has been working with a filmmaker to create a powerful, interactive documentary about the trial that should have happened in her husband’s case—it’s called American Trial: The Eric Garner Story.
Eric Garner's high school graduation photo. Photo courtesy of the Garner family.
After you watch the film, be sure to tune in to the American Trial Facebook page for a special live-stream Q&A tonight at 7:30 p.m. EDT. The panel will be moderated by Rev. Al Sharpton and feature Esaw Snipes Garner and director Roee Messinger.
The Innocence Project exonerates the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. www.innocenceproject.org
