The anniversary of Eric Garner's Death

[downtoearth]

I can't believe it's only been a year.

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It's Been One Year Since Eric Garner Died. Here's What's Happened Since.

Friday marks the anniversary of Eric Garner's death from a fatal police chokehold in New York, but the aftermath of his death is far from over.

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether Officer Daniel Pantaleo -- who put Garner into the prohibited chokehold -- should face federal civil rights charges. A New York state appeals court is deciding whether records from the grand jury investigation into Garner's death should be made public. And earlier this week, New York City announced it would pay the Garner family $5.9 million in order to fend off a full-blown wrongful death lawsuit.

Garner's death was the catalyst for massive #BlackLivesMatter protests across the country and helped inspire a series of criminal justice reforms in New York state.

As protesters march in New York Friday, calling for Pantaleo to be prosecuted and the grand jury records to be released, here's a look back at the saga that followed in the year after Garner's death.

There is an interactive timeline at the link: www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/17/eric-garner-anniversary_n_7817922.html

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3:32 PM
July 17, 2014

"I Can't Breathe!"

Eric Garner, a 43-year-old father of six and grandfather of two, is approached by police officers for selling untaxed "loosie" cigarettes in Staten Island. Previously, Garner had nonviolently refused to be arrested for the same offense -- and it worked. But this time, the officers don't go away. Officer Daniel Pantaleo puts Garner into a chokehold -- a maneuver banned under NYPD guidelines -- and brings him to the ground. Garner screams "I can't breathe" 11 times but officers keep him pinned down. Then, Garner's body goes still.

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10:41 PM
July 17, 2014

The Video

Ramsey Orta, 23, was a good friend of Garner's. When police approach Garner to arrest him, Orta takes out his phone and films. Later that night, he hands over the footage to a photographer from The New York Daily News. In the morning, the video is national news.

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July 18, 2014

Desk Duty

Officer Daniel Pantaleo and his partner, Justin D'Amico, are stripped of their guns and badges and put on desk duty pending an investigation into Garner's death. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tells reporters he is "very troubled by the video" but cautions that "it's too early to jump to conclusions." He adds: "We must wait for the full facts." Meanwhile, Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan begins an investigation into the incident.

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July 19, 2014

Not The Only Chokehold

The Civilian Complaint Review Board announces it's received over 1,000 complaints regarding the use of chokeholds by police in recent years. The board says it's studying the complaints in the wake of Garner's death. Chokeholds are dangerous, and the NYPD banned the use of the maneuver in 1994.

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July 21, 2014

Another Video

A new video emerges showing Garner lying on the ground motionless for five minutes as police wait for medical personnel to arrive.

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July 22, 2014

"Omissions And Lies"

A front page story in the Daily News reveals that the internal police report on the Garner arrest makes no mention of a chokehold and says that "[Garner's] condition did not seem serious" -- even though the video clearly shows him unresponsive. The report is full of "ommissions and lies," city council member Jumaane Williams tells reporters. “If there was no video of this, we would be here listening to the police account of what happened, with no chokehold mentioned, and saying he didn’t need medical services,” Williams adds.

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July 23, 2014

The Funeral That "Never Should Have Been"

The funeral for Garner, held at Bethel Baptist Church in Brooklyn, “never should have been in the first place," Rev. Al Sharpton tells hundreds of mourners. "You don’t need no training to stop choking a man saying, ‘I can’t breathe!’" he says. "You don’t need no cultural orientation to stop choking a man who says, ‘I can’t breathe!’ You need to be prosecuted and you need to be put away for a while!” Sharpton calls on the federal government to press civil rights charges against Pantaleo, expressing skepticism that Staten Island district attorney Daniel Donovan can fairly prosecute police, with whom he works closely on other cases.

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August 1, 2014

A Homicide

The New York City medical examiner rules Garner's death a homicide. It determines he died from a chokehold, as well as "the compression of his chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police." Asthma, heart disease and obesity are also contributing factors in his death.

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August 2, 2014

Man Who Filmed Chokehold Is Arrested

Ramsey Orta, who filmed Pantaleo putting Garner in a chokehold, is arrested on a gun possession charge. Later, Sharpton and others claim officers targeted Orta because of the Garner video.

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August 9, 2014

Michael Brown

Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black man, is shot and killed in Ferguson, Missouri, by a white police officer. Protests and riots engulf the St. Louis suburb.

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August 13, 2014

Calls For A Federal Probe

Six members of New York's congressional delegation call on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate Garner's death. They also ask the Department of Justice to look at how "broken windows" policing -- the strategy of going after smaller crimes to help stop bigger ones -- disproportionately affects minorities.

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August 19, 2014

The Grand Jury

Daniel Donovan, the Staten Island district attorney, announces he will convene a grand jury to determine whether to file charges in Garner's death.

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August 23, 2014

A Massive, Peaceful Protest

Members of Garner's family and Sharpton lead thousands of protesters in a march on Staten Island.

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September 4, 2014

Body Cameras

The NYPD announces some officers will start to wear body cameras as part of a pilot program.

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September 8, 2014

Bratton Testifies

NYPD Commissioner William Bratton testifies before the city council and says all officers will receive a three-day retraining program in the use of force. The council is receptive, but many are still critical of Bratton's "broken windows" approach to policing.

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October 7, 2014

Report: NYPD Ignores Chokehold Ban

A report released by the Civilian Complaint Review Board finds that the NYPD rarely, if ever, disciplines cops for using chokeholds. It also finds complaints over chokeholds rose in 2014.

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October 7, 2014

$75 Million

Garner's family announces plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the city seeking damages of $75 million.

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November 24, 2014

No Indictment In Michael Brown Death

Protests erupt across the country after it's revealed that a Ferguson, Missouri, grand jury declined to bring charges against the police officer who shot 18-year Michael Brown.

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December 3, 2014

No Indictment In Eric Garner Death

In New York, a grand jury declines to bring charges against Officer Pantaleo in Garner's death. Protests erupt again across the city

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December 3, 2014

Mayor De Blasio: I Worry About My Black Son

Responding to the grand jury decision, Mayor Bill de Blasio reveals that he and his wife, who is black, had to talk to their black son about how to deal with police. "We've had to literally train him -- as families have all over this city for decades -- how to take special care in any encounter he has with the police officers who are there to protect him," the mayor tells reporters.

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December 3, 2014

DOJ Launches Civil Rights Probe Into Garner Death

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announces the DOJ has launched a civil rights investigation into Garner's death.

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December 4, 2014 — December 19, 2014

Protests Erupt Across The Country

For weeks after the grand jury decision, #BlackLivesMatter protesters across the country shut down traffic and bridges. In New York, thousands routinely take to the streets.

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December 10, 2014

City Council Members Protest

A large group of New York City Council members block traffic outside City Hall, chanting "I can't breathe!" and "Black Lives Matter!"

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December 20, 2014

Two NYPD Officers Killed In Brooklyn

NYPD Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos are shot and killed in an ambush by Ismaaiyl Brinsley, a mentally ill 28-year-old. In an Instagram post before the shooting, Brinsely said he was going to kill some cops in revenge for the deaths of Garner and Brown.

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December 21, 2014

Pat Lynch: Mayor Has "Blood On His Hands"

Pat Lynch, president of the city's largest police union, says Mayor De Blasio's sympathy for protesters helped lead to the deaths of Liu and Ramos, adding that the mayor had "blood on his hands." Lynch also blames "those that incited violence on the streets under the guise of protest that tried to tear down what NYPD officers did every day."

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December 27, 2014 — January 4, 2015

Officers Turns Backs On De Blasio

When the mayor speaks at the funerals for Liu and Ramos, police officers in attendance turn their backs.

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January 5, 2015

Fight Over Grand Jury Records Begins

A Staten Island judge agrees to hear arguments from Public Advocate Letitia James and several civil rights groups over whether to release records from the grand jury's investigation into Garner's death. Grand jury records are typically sealed and Staten Island's district attorney, Daniel Donovan, is opposed to releasing the records.

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January 15, 2015

Bratton: Chokehold Bill 'Unnecessary'

When asked about a city council bill that would criminalize chokeholds, Bratton calls the legislation "totally inappropriate, totally unnecessary, misguided and uninformed."

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March 19, 2015

Judge Denies Request For Eric Garner Grand Jury Records

New York Supreme Court Justice William Garnett issues a decision stating there is no “compelling and particularized need” to release the records. His decision is appealed to a higher court.

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July 1, 2015

Complaints Down

The latest data from the Civilian Complaint Review Board shows the number of complaints against the NYPD has continued to drop in the year since Eric Garner's death.

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July 8, 2015

Cuomo Announces Special Prosecutor

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) issues an executive order appointing a special prosecutor to handle cases involving civilians who die at the hands of police. It's a measure that was sought by Eric Garner's mother, Gwen Carr.

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July 13, 2015

$5.9 Million

New York City agrees to pay Eric Garner's family $5.9 million to settle a wrongful death claim over his killing.

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July 14, 2015

Family Renews Calls For Prosecution

At a press conference with Sharpton, Garner's family urges the Justice Department to bring federal charges against the officers involved in Garner's death. "They deserve to be prosecuted," said Garner's widow, Esaw Garner. "They treated my husband like an animal."

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July 14, 2015

A Memorial

Eric Garner's family, Mayor Bill de Blasio, senior NYPD officials and faith leaders gather at a Staten Island church to commemorate the upcoming anniversary of Garner's death. “We’re beginning a new era,” the mayor says. “It’s been a long, cold season of sorrow. But we remember that seasons change. And now, in every sense, summer has come.”

[NewOrleans]

Yikes. Quite a recap

[thejackpot]

A lot has happened in a year and yet so many things are the same.