New York senators call for Justice Department to investigate Garner's death

New York senators call for Justice Department to investigate Garner&#039;s death

(Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

last updated 10 January 2015

New York Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the death of Eric Garner. Earlier Wednesday, a Staten Island grand jury announced it will not indict police officer Daniel Pantaleo, who held Garner in a chokehold while trying to arrest him for selling loose cigarettes without a license.

Gillibrand posted a statement to her website Wednesday:

While this decision is shocking, I want to echo the statement of a wide range of leaders inside and outside of government who are urging that protests remain peaceful in the aftermath of this decision. The death of Eric Garner is a tragedy that demands accountability. Nobody unarmed should die on a New York City street corner for suspected low-level offenses. I’m shocked by this grand jury decision, and will be calling on the Department of Justice to investigate. [Kirsten Gillibrand]

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Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.