The Civil Rights Leader and Gwen Carr, Mother of Eric Garner,
Blasts NYPD and Plan Major Marches to Bannon's Command
Blasts NYPD and Plan Major Marches to Bannon's Command
By Gary Glennell Toms
The following is an excerpt from an amNewYork article published on May 16.
"When it seemed Eric Garner would die after his confrontation with police officers on Staten Island, an NYPD lieutenant testified Thursday that he texted subordinates, “not a big deal, you were affecting a lawful arrest.”
"Lt. Christopher Bannon, testifying at the police disciplinary trial of Officer Daniel Pantaleo, said he made the statement not to seem callous but to calm cops down in the emotionally charged aftermath of Garner’s death during his arrest on July 17, 2014."
On May 18, the Rev. Al Sharpton and Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, addressed the matter during a rally at the National Action Network (NAN) headquarters in Harlem.
Sharpton also called for the firing of Lt. Bannon and announced that NAN will plan a series of marches to Bannon's command. He called on New York City residents to join NAN in its effort to ensure that New York Police Department Commissioner James O'Neill and other NYPD officials hold Bannon and Officer Daniel Pantaleo accountable for their actions.
"How do you ride around.... in vehicles, saying protect and serve, but the people you're protecting....are killed by one of your officers....and it's no big deal? Before....any inquiry....any investigation....you say it's no big deal," said Sharpton.
"When I heard this commander....this is something that I had not heard before....that when the call came in that the person may be DOA, and he says not a big deal. That means he's talking about our community is not a big deal. But we are gonna make it a big deal! We're gonna be out there on the front line and make it a big deal. That was my son," Carr stated.
Click here for full coverage of the rally. Rev. Sharpton addresses the audience at the 52:45 mark. Carr speaks directly after.
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