Maloney statement on Justice Department civil rights investigation into death of Eric Garner

Dec 4, 2014
Press Release

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12) today released the following statement on the Justice Department’s decision to investigate the death of Eric Garner.

“The Justice Department is right to open a civil rights investigation into the tragic death of Eric Garner. There is something terribly wrong with our system if we cannot get an indictment in a death that the NYC Medical Examiner ruled a homicide. To say that it’s not even worth having a trial to determine if the officers involved have committed a crime is shocking and creates the impression that there are no limits on police action even when unarmed people are killed.  

“I hope this Justice Department investigation will illuminate what went wrong in this specific instance, and also help reveal the systemic problems in our justice system, which have allowed similar injustices to take place not only in New York but throughout America. There needs to be a thorough re-examination of police protocols and training to help eliminate these terrible tragedies.”