Rep. Peter King: Eric Garner died because he was 'so obese'


During an interview with CNN Wednesday night, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) told Wolf Blitzer that Eric Garner "most definitely" would not have died from being placed in a chokehold by police if he didn't have "asthma and a heart condition and was so obese."
King started his segment by calling Garner's death "tragic," then quickly switched gears. "The police had no reason to know that he was in serious condition," he said. "I know people are saying he said 11 times or seven times, 'I can't breathe,' but the fact is if you can't breathe, you can't talk."
During the rest of his interview, King questions if Garner was actually put in a chokehold and says he has "no doubt" that a "350 pound white guy" would have been targeted the same way. Watch the clip below. --Catherine Garcia
The Week
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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