ERIC GARNER

A New York grand jury investigating hush payments made on Donald Trump’s behalf during the 2016 presidential campaign has refocused attention on the Manhattan district attorney steering the case.

Mothers, fathers and siblings of Black people killed by police will attend President Biden’s State of the Union as guests of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Memphis authorities initially said Tyre Nichols was taken into custody after two "confrontations" with police. Video footage released later shows Nichols being fatally beaten by officers.

Emerald Snipes-Garner blasted the Memphis authorities' release of the Tyre Nichols footage on Friday, telling NewsNation's Chris Cuomo that it was like a movie premiere.

A new biopic about the mother of Emmett Till, the 14-year old Black boy whose lynching in Mississippi in 1955 catalyzed the U.S. civil rights movement, is being promoted as a tribute to Black women and Black mothers who are continuing her legacy and fight for justice, equality and equity.

As the United States marks only the second federally recognized Juneteenth, Black Americans living overseas have embraced the holiday as a day of reflection and an opportunity to educate people in their host countries on Black history.

On the eve of Juneteenth, the Tribeca Festival came to a close with the Rev_ Al Sharpton documentary “Loudmouth.”.

A Michigan police officer has been charged with second-degree murder for fatally shooting Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head as the Black man was on the ground.

New York City has agreed to pay $7 million to a man who spent 23 years behind bars for a murder he didn’t commit.

The School Board plans to ask voters to increase a special school tax from $50 for every $100,000 of assessed value to $100. If it fails, the entire tax, which pays for salary supplements, safety and mental health, would go away.

Video shows Patrick Lyoya disobeyed an officer during an April 4 traffic stop, tried to run, then wrestled with the officer over his Taser before the officer fatally shot him in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Two of the NBA’s most significant dynasties emerged in the second decade of the 2000s.

Trayvon Martin was visiting his father in Sanford, Florida, when the 17-year-old Black teen was fatally shot Feb. 26, 2012, during a confrontation with George Zimmerman.

The killing of Trayvon Martin at the hands of a stranger still reverberates 10 years later -- in protest, in partisanship, in racial reckoning and reactionary response, in social justice and social media.

The Justice Department says it will not reopen the federal investigation into the 2014 death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was shot to death by Cleveland police.

Alvin Bragg has already notched one historic first, being sworn in Saturday as Manhattan’s first Black district attorney.

Bill de Blasio swept into the New York City mayor’s office eight years ago promising a liberal remolding of the nation’s largest city that would level deep inequities and reform police practices.

A suburban Minneapolis police officer who said she confused her handgun for a Taser was led away in handcuffs Thursday after a jury found her guilty of manslaughter in the death of Black motorist Daunte Wright.

When New York City voters this week chose Eric Adams as the city’s next mayor and Alvin Bragg as the Manhattan district attorney, they elevated two Black men into two of the city’s most powerful elected offices.

One of the officers who wrestled Eric Garner to the ground during his fatal 2014 arrest testified Tuesday to falsely charging the Staten Island dad with a felony after riding with his lifeless body in an ambulance. NYPD officer Justin D’Amico also claimed he never heard Garner utter his infamous pleas: “I can’t breathe.” The testimony came on the second day of a historic judicial inquiry into ...

The Oakland filmmaker Peter Nicks had already made two well-regarded documentaries capturing the institutions of his city and how they shape local lives in 2012’s “The Waiting Room,” about a public hospital, and 2017’s “The Force,” about the Oakland Police Department.

The Cannes Film Festival rolled out the red carpet for the first time in more than two years on Tuesday, launching the French Riviera spectacular with the premiere of Leos Carax’s “Annette,” the introduction of Spike Lee’s jury, and with high hopes for shrugging off a punishing pandemic year for cinema.

Alvin Bragg was poised to become Manhattan’s first Black district attorney after his closest opponent conceded in the the Democratic primary.

Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, called on legislators to pass the George Floyd in Policing Act.

Disagreements in the New York mayor's race over police funding and bans on specific, controversial practices can obscure what the data reveals.

The Democratic primary race for New York City mayor is nearing the finish line with a surge in shootings pushing public safety to the top of some voters' concerns.

There's been some progress in the relationship between the Tulsa police and the city's Black community in the 100 years since the Tulsa Race Massacre left as many as 300 Black people dead and thousands of Black residents displaced.

Parents and siblings of Black men killed by police urged people during a discussion in the city where George Floyd was killed a year ago to join them in pursuing legal changes they say can make more deaths less likely in the future.

At least 17 states have prohibited or severely limited the use of chokeholds and neck restraints by police officers in the year since George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis after being pinned under an officer's knee.

As the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder approaches, some people say the best way to honor him is for Congress to pass a bill in his name that overhauls policing.

The bill would change the police use-of-force law "from one of simple necessity to one of absolute last resort," James' office said in a press release.

Something went wrong at the security checkpoint at the VA hospital in El Paso, Texas, on a winter’s day in 2016.

Thousands took to streets in the Loop Sunday afternoon, protesting and calling for the end of Jewish occupation of Palestinian land.

The Justice Department is sending a strong signal about its priorities these days.

Family members of George Floyd, Botham Jean and Eric Garner were among those who shared their stories with Sens. Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham.

Family members of George Floyd, Botham Jean and Eric Garner were among those who shared their stories with Sens. Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham.

Family members of George Floyd, Botham Jean and Eric Garner were among those who shared their stories with Sens. Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham.

The family and representatives of Black men killed by the police have met at the White House with senators and Biden administration officials and say they left feeling optimistic.

Moments after former officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in George Floyd’s death, copies of the original Minneapolis police statement began recirculating on social media.

Law enforcement leaders say the conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin for George Floyd's death is a step toward restoring trust in the criminal justice system and repairing relations with communities.

Activists, members of George Floyd’s family and some public officials say the guilty verdicts against Derek Chauvin are just a start, and they will continue to push for systemic change in policing in Minneapolis and beyond.

The brother of George Floyd has thanked the Las Vegas Raiders for their support after owner Mark Davis issued a statement on Twitter that drew backlash following the conviction of a police officer who killed Floyd.

The killings of George Floyd and Eric Garner had a lot of similarities, with one big difference — Floyd's family got a conviction.

Calls have grown for federal investigations into police killings across the nation since President Joe Biden took office and said he believes racial disparities in policing must change.

The Las Vegas Raiders got angry backlash for a tweet the team sent after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd.

The family of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was fatally shot by Cleveland police in 2014, is asking the Justice Department to reopen the case into his death after it was closed near the end of the Trump administration.

By Ben JealousThe murder trial of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has begun, ten months after George Floyd died in the street with Chauvin’s knee on his neck. I am convinced that the truth about what happened to George Floyd came out only because someone filmed his death. We hope and expect that the trial now under way will bring justice for George Floyd and his family. That is the motivation for measures like the federal George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and a wave of initiatives being proposed and considered at state and local levels. We must finally have equal justice under the law, and it starts with a criminal justice system that holds law enforcement accountable.

But it's an argument that's almost certainly not available to Derek Chauvin, the fired Minneapolis police officer who goes on trial Monday, March 29, 2021, in George Floyd's death. The fired Minneapolis police officer who goes on trial Monday was captured on video pinning George Floyd to the pavement, his knee on the Black man's neck, for about nine minutes last May. In 2020, six officers were charged in such cases, including at least four after the nationwide outrage over Floyd’s death. AdProsecutors in Chauvin’s case hope the pleas from onlookers to check on Floyd will serve the same purpose. “But each second after that, there was no need for a split-second decision.”___Find AP’s full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd

A coalition of 150 organizations nationwide is opposing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The Movement for Black Lives argues the bill is entrenched in strategies that have historically failed to address police violence across the country and fails to meet the moment." The bill, designed by the Movement for Black Lives’ Electoral Justice Project, would also redirect funding toward communities to address the nation’s systemic racial injustices. “It’s not just about after the fact accountability,” said Gina Clayton-Johnson, the lead BREATHE Act architect and leadership team member of the Movement for Black Lives’ Policy Table. AdBut the movement faces a significant uphill battle in securing needed political support from lawmakers who will be key in pushing forward the BREATHE Act or revamping the Justice in Policing Act.

The Daniel Prude case marks the third time a grand jury has declined to bring charges in a case handled by the Special Investigations and Prosecutions Unit, created in 2015 amid an outcry over police skirting punishment in the deaths of unarmed Black people. And they note that it is more common than not for prosecutors to run into obstacles when pursuing charges against police. She said the unit should be more aggressive about bringing charges, for the sake of the families seeking justice. It has brought murder charges against two officers, but most of its investigations haven't resulted in prosecutions. The officers, since suspended, held him down for about two minutes until Prude stopped breathing.

FILE - In this Sept. 3, 2020, file photo, Joe Prude, right, brother of Daniel Prude, and Daniel's nephew Armin, stand with a picture of Daniel Prude in Rochester, N.Y. Prude said Wednesday that videos recorded by Rochester Police officers' body cameras after they caught up with Daniel Prude, naked on a frigid night last March, are irrefutable proof of a crime. The officers’ attorneys said Daniel Prude’s use of PCP, which caused irrational behavior, was “the root cause” of his death. AdThe attorney general also called for communities to minimize or eliminate police responses to mental health calls. Nathaniel McFarland, one of Daniel Prude's five children, said he was not surprised that the officers weren't charged.

To bring federal civil rights charges in cases like these, the Justice Department must prove that an officer’s actions willfully broke the law and are not simply the result of a mistake, negligence or bad judgment. But the video reviewed by federal prosecutors makes the sequence of events less clear. Neither of two witnesses who either saw part of the encounter or reported hearing gunshots said they saw exactly what Rice was doing just before the shooting, according to the Justice Department. In a statement at the scene to three other law enforcement officers, Loehmann “repeatedly and consistently stated” that Tamir was reaching for a gun before he shot him, prosecutors said. Both Loehmann and Garmback also said in statements after the shooting that Loehmann had given Tamir “multiple commands to show his hands before shooting” and both officers saw him reaching for the weapon.

To bring federal civil rights charges in cases like these, the Justice Department must prove that an officer’s actions willfully broke the law and are not simply the result of a mistake, negligence or bad judgment. But the video reviewed by federal prosecutors makes the sequence of events less clear. Neither of two witnesses who either saw part of the encounter or reported hearing gunshots said they saw exactly what Rice was doing just before the shooting, according to the Justice Department. In a statement at the scene to three other law enforcement officers, Loehmann “repeatedly and consistently stated” that Tamir was reaching for a gun before he shot him, prosecutors said. Both Loehmann and Garmback also said in statements after the shooting that Loehmann had given Tamir “multiple commands to show his hands before shooting” and both officers saw him reaching for the weapon.

Byrne, whose brother was a rookie NYPD officer when he was shot and killed in 1988, died Sunday at a Manhattan hospital after a heart attack Thursday, the police department said. Byrne defended the department in litigation over its spying on Muslims, which was uncovered in reporting by The Associated Press. He interpreted a state secrecy law in a way that shielded the disciplinary records of officers accused of brutality from public view. Bush carried his badge with him while running for the White House, and a major Justice Department grant program is named in his honor. Over the years, Lawrence Byrne and his family have testified before the state parole board, urging it not to release the men who killed his brother.

Also at the rally were the families of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old man left partly paralyzed after a police officer in Kenosha shot him in the back, Eric Garner, who was killed in New York in 2014 after an officer placed him in a chokehold, Jay Anderson, a 25-year-old shot six times and killed in 2016 by a police officer in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and Alvin Cole, a 17-year-old also shot dead by a police officer in Wauwatosa.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump portrays the hundreds of people arrested nationwide in protests against racial injustice as violent urban left-wing radicals. And they argue federal authorities appear to be cracking down on protesters in an effort to stymie demonstrations. In some cases, prosecutors have gone so far as appealing judge's orders to release defendants. More than 40% of those facing federal charges are white. Attorneys for those facing federal charges either declined to comment or didn’t respond to messages from the AP.

But the protests against racial injustice since George Floyd was killed during a police encounter in Minnesota have the three men's families urging authorities to reopen the investigations. Because criminal laws and juries often give great deference to police and the split-second decisions they have to make, families sometimes turn to civil courts to seek justice. The footage begins trained on Peters' car. The officer, who is also Black, deployed the stun gun, which appeared to have no effect, then shot Peters with his service weapon. “Marcus needed help, not death,” Blanding said.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech. Sixty-five years later (after Tills murder), we still struggle for justice demilitarizing the police, dismantling mass incarceration, and declaring as determinately as we can that Black lives matter, King said. As peaceful protests turned to arson and theft, naysayers of the Black Lives Matter movement issued calls for law and order.The Rev. Theres a white system and a black system -- the black system aint doing so well.No justice, no peace! he proclaimed. Some participants headed toward Black Lives Matter Plaza, right outside of the White House, which was renamed from Pennsylvania Avenue during protests in June.

Black Lives Matter activists are holding a virtual Black National Convention Friday, Aug. 28, to adopt a political agenda calling for slavery reparations, universal basic income, environmental justice and legislation that entirely re-imagines criminal justice reforms. Anyone who is watching, who is both enraged or looking for action, will find a space" in the Black National Convention, Byrd said. The Black National Convention was originally planned to take place in-person in Detroit, the nations Blackest major city. Fridays convention is expected to be the largest gathering of Black activists and artists, albeit virtual, since the historic 1972 National Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana, which concluded with the introduction of a national Black agenda. The Black National Convention broadcast begins after the D.C. march has concluded.

Police departments nationwide are showing new interest in training officers how they should stop, or try to stop, abuse in their own ranks. Minneapolis adopted a policy in 2016 requiring officers to intervene when colleagues are using inappropriate force. In New Orleans, all officers have to take the peer intervention training, called Ethical Policing Is Courageous, or EPIC. Dallas, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Louisville, Kentucky, are among the cities that have implemented duty to intervene policies in recent months. New York City has had an intervention policy since 2016.

In late July, with local infection numbers rising, Bowser ordered that anyone traveling or returning to Washington from a virus hot spot must self-quarantine for 14 days. Bowser, when asked on July 30 about the potential conflict, said government officials had been in contact with march organizers and that Washington would not be relaxing its virus rules for participants. The NAACP, one of several partners in this year's commemoration, last week launched a website for a virtual March on Washington. The site will livestream the Washington march, in addition to other programming leading up to and after the event. The Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 150 Black-led organizations that make up the broader Black Lives Matter movement, will hold its virtual Black National Convention later in the evening.

Madeline Curry attends a protest with her father outside the Minneapolis 5th Police Precinct while wearing a protective mask that reads "I CAN'T BREATHE", Saturday, May 30, 2020, in Minneapolis. Protests continued following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Madeline Curry attends a protest with her father outside the Minneapolis 5th Police Precinct while wearing a protective mask that reads "I CAN'T BREATHE", Saturday, May 30, 2020, in Minneapolis. One told Floyd it takes “a lot of oxygen” to talk, while another told angry bystanders that Floyd was “talking, so he can breathe.”That reaction -- seen in police restraint deaths around the country -- is dangerously wrong, medical experts say. In the moments before he died, Floyd told police he couldn’t breathe more than 20 times. The volume of an ordinary breath is about 400 to 600 mL, but normal speech requires about 50 mL of gas per syllable, so saying the words “I can’t breathe” would require 150 mL of gas, the authors wrote. But the misperception that a talking person is able to breathe has also come up in other high-profile in-custody deaths.

FILE - In this June 23, 2020, file photo a man gestures to Metropolitan Police Department officers standing guard after police closed the area around Lafayette Park near the White House after protesters tried to topple a statue of Andrew Jackson in the park in Washington. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2014, file photo, New York City police officer David Afanador leaves state court in New York following his arraignment. The confrontation on the boardwalk came after weeks of protests following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. Officer David Afanador, 39, was expected to be arraigned Thursday afternoon on strangulation and attempted strangulation charges stemming from the confrontation Sunday on a Queens beach boardwalk. The issue has been particularly fraught since the death of Eric Garner after an officer put him in a chokehold in 2014. Afanador is the second NYPD officer to face brutality charges this month.

The four officers were dismissed from the force on Tuesday, a day after the death of George Floyd, 46, who lived in suburban St. Louis Park, Minnesota. The officers were not immediately identified by the Minneapolis police department, and it was not known whether any of them had retained lawyers. The Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, the union that represents the citys police force, was not immediately available for comment. FILE PHOTO: Protesters gather at the scene where George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was pinned down by a police officer kneeling on his neck before later dying in hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. May 26, 2020. Just imagine what George Floyd endured for those nine minutes, begging for breath, begging for life.

A new Reuters investigation, however, has found that more often than not, these last-ditch excessive force lawsuits fail to win victims any redress - all because of a little-known legal defense called qualified immunity. This 50-year-old creation of the U.S. Supreme Court is meant to protect government employees from frivolous litigation. We found that police won 56% of cases in which they claimed qualified immunity from 2017 through 2019. Thats because the Supreme Court has continually raised the bar for challenges to the qualified immunity defense. Multiple appeals backed by the doctrines critics have piled up before the Supreme Court.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent@StacyBrownMediaNew York Citys proposed ban on menthol cigarettes and e-flavored cigarettes and vapes has many critics calling for officials to reconsider. We urge you to carefully consider any bill that seeks to ban menthol cigarettes, Gwendolyn Carr, the mot-her of Eric Garner; and Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, wrote in a letter to New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. The majority 80 percent of Black smokers prefer menthol cigarettes. Further, a menthol ban would create criminal enterprises, and it would not help curb smoking, opponents of the measure told NNPA Newswire. Now, the consequence of smoking menthol cigarettes while Black will be another pretense.

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMediaGwen Carr provided an emotional opening statement during the House Judiciary Committees oversight hearing on policing practices. Five years ago, my beloved son Eric was murdered by people who were supposed to serve and protect, Carr told the bipartisan group of lawmakers. House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), told Carr that the criminal justice system failed her and her family. It included testimony from former professional tennis player James Blake; former federal law enforcement official Ron Davis; National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Chief Vera Bumpers; and Dr. Phillip Atiba of the Center for Policing Equity. Quite simply, there is a need for greater oversight on the patterns and practices of law enforcement across the country, Sharpton said.

In 2015, New York City paid a $5.9 million settlement to Garners family to avoid a civil lawsuit. New York protesters march and rally on the fifth anniversary of the death of Eric Garner in New York, U.S., July 17, 2019. He reversed course last year, saying he would no longer wait for the Justice Department, and ordered the police department to begin the internal disciplinary trial. Pantaleos lawyers argued that Garner himself, not the officer, was to blame for his death, and that Pantaleo followed his training and orders from senior police. Commissioner ONeill must uphold this verdict and dismiss Pantaleo from the Department....A lawyer for Pantaleo did not respond to requests for comment.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A white New York City police officer who killed an unarmed black man with a banned chokehold in 2014 should be fired, a police judge recommended on Friday in a case that stoked the Black Lives Matter movement and reverberated in the U.S. presidential campaign. Today, we finally saw a step towards justice and accountability, Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters in at City Hall. The mayor has said he regrets his decision to postpone disciplinary proceedings against Pantaleo for what would become several years while a U.S. Justice Department civil rights investigation was ongoing. He reversed course last year, saying he would no longer wait for the Justice Department, and ordered the police department to begin the internal disciplinary trial. Pantaleos lawyers argued that Garner himself, not the officer, was to blame for his death, and that Pantaleo followed his training and orders from senior police.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A white New York City police officer who used a fatal chokehold on an unarmed black man during an arrest in 2014 should be fired, a police department disciplinary judge recommended in a long-awaited verdict on Friday, and the department immediately suspended the officer. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks to the news media after a New York Police Department (NYPD) disciplinary judge recommended the firing of officer Daniel Pantaleo, who used a fatal chokehold on unarmed black man Eric Garner during an arrest in 2014, at city hall in New York, U.S. August 2, 2019. The police department said in a statement that suspension was standard practice when a departmental judge recommends termination. Rosemarie Maldonado, a deputy police commissioner who oversees disciplinary hearings, reached her verdict after serving as the judge in Pantaleos disciplinary trial earlier this year. He reversed course last year, saying he would no longer wait for the Justice Department, and ordered the police department to begin the internal disciplinary trial.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A white New York City police officer who used a fatal chokehold on an unarmed black man during an arrest in 2014 should be fired, a police department disciplinary judge recommended on Friday. New York protesters march and rally on the fifth anniversary of the death of Eric Garner in New York, U.S., July 17, 2019. Rosemarie Maldonado, a deputy police commissioner who oversees disciplinary hearings, reached her verdict after serving as the judge in Pantaleos disciplinary trial earlier this year. The mayor has said he regrets his decision to postpone disciplinary proceedings against Pantaleo for what would become several years while a U.S. Justice Department civil rights investigation was ongoing. He reversed course last year, saying he would no longer wait for the Justice Department, and ordered the police department to begin the internal disciplinary trial.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A white New York City police officer who used a fatal chokehold on an unarmed black man during an arrest in 2014 should be fired, a police department disciplinary judge recommended on Friday. New York protesters march and rally on the fifth anniversary of the death of Eric Garner in New York, U.S., July 17, 2019. Rosemarie Maldonado, a deputy police commissioner who oversees disciplinary hearings, reached her verdict after serving as the judge in Pantaleos disciplinary trial earlier this year. The mayor has said he regrets his decision to postpone disciplinary proceedings against Pantaleo for what would become several years while a U.S. Justice Department civil rights investigation was ongoing. He reversed course last year, saying he would no longer wait for the Justice Department, and ordered the police department to begin the internal disciplinary trial.

The city's police commissioner will make a final decision later this month on whether to fire Officer Daniel Pantaleo over his role in Eric Garner 's death. The New York Police Department suspended Pantaleo from duty shortly after the judge's decision became public. Under department rules, Pantaleo's lawyer will have about two weeks to respond before Police Commissioner James O'Neill makes his decision. Justice for the Garner family would have been a federal proceeding or a criminal proceeding in the local courts." Garner's death has dogged de Blasio, a Democrat, since it happened in his first year in office.

New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo leaves his house Monday, May 13, 2019, in Staten Island, N.Y., to face an NYPD disciplinary trial for the July 2014 death of Eric Garner. "All of New York City understandably seeks closure to this difficult chapter in our city's history," Walzak said. This undated family file photo provided by the National Action Network shows Eric Garner, a Staten Island man who died July 17, 2014, after an NYPD officer placed him in a chokehold. "Full justice means there can never be another tragedy like the one that befell Eric Garner," de Blasio said. He said if O'Neill upholds the decision, it will send a message to city officers that they are "expendable."

Protesters interrupted the first minutes of the second Democratic debate with calls to fire the NYPD officer who put Eric Garner in a fatal chokehold. The chant references Daniel Pantaleo, who remains in the NYPD more than five years after Garner's death. Pantaleo was caught on camera putting Garner, an unarmed black man, in a chokehold on a Staten Island street in July 2014. A medical examiner later ruled Garner's death to be a homicide. Soon after the chant, de Blasio's Twitter account posted four tweets responding the protesters and saying Garner's death "fundamentally changed" New York City.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks on the second night of the second 2020 Democratic U.S. presidential debate in Detroit, Michigan, July 31, 2019. Protesters calling for the firing of a New York City police officer involved in the 2014 death of Eric Garner interrupted the second Democratic presidential primary debate on Wednesday. Chants of "Fire Pantaleo" started during New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's opening statement at the Detroit debate. They reference Daniel Pantaleo, the officer involved in Garner's death on Staten Island that sparked nationwide protests. "While I believe that respecting the process is the best way to get justice for Eric Garner's family, I recognize and identify with the pain people across this country are feeling," he said.

The demonstrators also vented their anger at New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat who has declined to fire Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the five years since Eric Garner died in police custody. Garner is heard in the videos of the incident saying I cant breathe! at least 11 times shortly before he died. Pantaleo has got to go! and I cant breathe! as they were addressed by civic rights activists. Filmmaker Spike Lee mingled in the throng, accompanied by a camera operator, but declined to speak to a Reuters reporter. Pantaleo was the latest example of an American law enforcement officer to avoid criminal liability in killings of unarmed black men.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Several hundred people took to the streets of New York on Wednesday to protest a decision by the U.S. Department of Justice not to bring federal charges against a policeman accused in the chokehold death of an unarmed black man in 2014. Youre the mayor; this is your city.McKiver, who is black, said she could be the next victim of policy brutality. In announcing that it would not bring charges against Pantaleo, Justice Department officials said they could not reach a conclusive determination as to whether Pantaleo willfully committed misconduct, which must be established to prove that he violated Garners civil rights. Filmmaker Spike Lee mingled in the throng, accompanied by a camera operator, but declined to speak to a Reuters reporter. Pantaleo was the latest example of a law enforcement officer in the United States to avoid criminal liability here in killings of unarmed black men in recent years.

People attend a news conference with Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, following the decision to not prosecute NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo at City Hall in New York, U.S., July 16, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidThe demonstrators also directed their anger at New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has declined to fire Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the five years since Eric Garner died in police custody. Youre the mayor; this is your city.McKiver, who is black, said she could be the next victim of policy brutality. In announcing that it would not bring charges against Pantaleo, Justice Department officials said they could not reach a conclusive determination as to whether Pantaleo willfully committed misconduct, which must be established to prove that he violated Garners civil rights. Filmmaker Spike Lee mingled in the throng, accompanied by a camera operator, but declined to speak to a Reuters reporter.

MOTHER: TODAY WE CANT BREATHEAfter meeting with federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, members of Garners family held a news conference with civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton. REUTERS/Lucas JacksonThe NYPD said its disciplinary process on Pantaleo will not be affected by the federal prosecutors decision. Although Mr. Garners death was an undeniable tragedy, Police Officer Pantaleo did not cause it, PBA President Patrick Lynch said in a statement. Several Democratic contenders for the White House condemned the decisions, including New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, whom the Garner family denounced on Tuesday because he has not pushed for Pantaleos dismissal. Years ago, we put our faith in the federal government to act, de Blasio said in a statement.

PHILANDO CASTILEOfficer Jeronimo Yanez shot a 32-year-old black man, Philando Castile, five times during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, on July 6, 2016. SAMUEL DUBOSEUniversity of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing fatally shot black motorist Samuel DuBose, 43, after stopping him for a missing front license plate in July 2015. MICHAEL BROWNDarren Wilson, a white police officer, shot Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black man, in Ferguson, Missouri, on Aug. 9, 2014. TAMIR RICETimothy Loehmann, a white police officer, shot Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old black boy who was displaying a toy gun, in Cleveland, Ohio, on Nov. 22, 2014. WALTER SCOTTMichael Slager, a white police officer, was caught on video shooting a 50-year-old unarmed black man, Walter Scott, in the back after a traffic stop in Charleston, South Carolina, on April 4, 2015.

FILE PHOTO - Demonstrators protest during the disciplinary trial of police officer Daniel Pantaleo in relation to the death of Eric Garner at 1 Police Plaza in New York City, U.S., June 6, 2019. The official confirmed that no New York police officer not just Pantaleo will face any charges. The DOJ has failed us, Garners mother, Gwen Carr, adding that she wanted to see Officer Daniel Pantaleo fired. Five years ago, my son said I cant breathe 11 times, and today we cant breathe because they let us down.Wednesday will mark five years since the incident. A New York grand jury in 2014 declined to charge Pantaleo, who has been assigned to desk duty since Garners death and faced a disciplinary trial in May at New York City Police Department headquarters.

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - None of the New York police officers whose attempted arrest of Eric Garner in 2014 led to the mans death and fueled the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement will face federal criminal charges, a Justice Department official said Tuesday. FILE PHOTO - Demonstrators protest during the disciplinary trial of police officer Daniel Pantaleo in relation to the death of Eric Garner at 1 Police Plaza in New York City, U.S., June 6, 2019. It did not fit within the statute.The official confirmed that no New York police officer not just Pantaleo will face any charges. A New York grand jury in 2014 declined to charge Pantaleo, who has been assigned to desk duty since Garners death and faced a disciplinary trial in May at New York City Police Department headquarters. FILE PHOTO - Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner, looks down during the disciplinary trial of police officer Daniel Pantaleo in relation to the death of Eric Garner at 1 Police Plaza in New York City, U.S., June 6, 2019.

FILE PHOTO - Demonstrators protest during the disciplinary trial of police officer Daniel Pantaleo in relation to the death of Eric Garner at 1 Police Plaza in New York City, U.S., June 6, 2019. ET (3 p.m. GMT) in advance of the statute of limitations for some civil charges expiring on Wednesday, the five-year anniversary of Garners death. In December 2014, a New York City grand jury voted against charging Pantaleo for killing Garner, which sparked national protests. Medical experts have determined Garners death was a homicide induced by compression of neck (choke hold), compression of chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police.Pantaleo has been assigned to desk duty since Garners death and faced a disciplinary trial in May at the New York City Police Department headquarters. A federal civil rights investigation into Garners death is ongoing and will not be affected by the statute of limitations expiration on Wednesday.

"Significantly, Officer Pantaleo was not engaged in a chokehold on Mr. Garner when he said he could not breathe, and neither Officer Pantaleo nor any other officer applied a chokehold to Mr. Garner after he first said he could not breathe," Donoghue said. Garner could be heard on bystander video crying out "I can't breathe" at least 11 times before he fell unconscious. The medical examiner's office said a chokehold contributed to Garner's death. Barr, who watched the video himself and got several briefings, made the ultimate decision, a senior Justice Department official said. He said Garner's death was a tragedy and that "for anyone to die under circumstances like these is a tremendous loss."

Sharpton called for the NYPD to fire Pantaleo, who's been on desk duty since Garner's death and is awaiting the results of a disciplinary hearing that could lead to termination. He said Garner's death is a tragedy and that "for anyone to die under circumstances like these is a tremendous loss." The head of Pantaleo's union said Garner's death was an "undeniable tragedy," but that the officer did not cause it. But the medical examiner's office said a chokehold contributed to Garner's death. In the years since the Garner death, Pantaleo has remained on the job but not in the field, and activists have decried his paycheck that included union-negotiated raises.

The video quickly went viral after Garner's death, and his pleas became a rallying cry against police brutality. Eric Garner's mother speaks as cop's disciplinary trial beginsPersechino testified Garner weighed 395 pounds at the time of his July 2014 death. Kleinman will testify later in the trial that he concluded Pantaleo did not use a chokehold to restrain Garner, London said. Before Pantaleo grabbed him, Garner is seen on video arguing with the officers, protesting what he considered constant harassment. He has been on desk duty since Garner's death.

New York City has reached a $5.9 million settlement with the family of Eric Garner, who died after an altercation with police. CBSN's Vladimir Duthiers has more on the charges.

Coffee klatch: Starbucks wants workers to talk more about race Starbucks took out a full-page ad in major newspapers Tuesday, announcing that they are encouraging baristas to have conversations about race with customers amid tension surrounding the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner by police that sparked national protests.

Protesters march with message against excessive force In Washington, protesters marched down Pennsylvania Avenue with the families of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin and Tamir Rice. Families who lost loved ones at the hands of police led the Millions March in New York City. Julianna Goldman and Jericka Duncan report.

On the ground with Eric Garner protesters For the past two weeks, thousands of New Yorkers have taken to the streets to protest what they call a pattern of excessive force exhibited by white police officers. While the New York protests have been peaceful, over 300 protesters have been arrested since a grand jury announced it would not indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo in the chokehold death of Eric Garner. Hear from the protesters themselves as they march through the streets of New York demanding justice.

Unlike Ferguson, more public support for Eric Garner A diverse group of protesters are coming together to voice their anger with the grand jury decision not to bring charges in the Eric Garner case. While some gave police the benefit of the doubt in the Ferguson, Mo., shooting, protesters cite the eyewitness video in the Garner case as indisputable proof of the NYPD’s wrongdoing. Jim Axelrod reports.

12/5: I can’t breathe" goes nationwide in Eric Garner protests; Heart transplant recipients celebrate their love Across the country, protesters have been gathering this week chanting “I can’t breathe” to protest a grand jury decision not to indict an NYPD officer over the death of Eric Garner; Steve Hartman checks in on two people who fell in love after getting heart transplants.

"I can’t breathe" goes nationwide in Eric Garner protests Across the country, protesters have been gathering this week chanting “I can’t breathe” to protest a grand jury decision not to indict an NYPD officer over the death of Eric Garner. Michelle Miller reports.

Protester attacks NYPD officer A violent moment amid mostly peaceful protests in wake of the Eric Garner grand jury decision, as a protester strikes an NYPD officer in the head near the Staten Island Ferry entrance. Elaine Quijano reports.

Inside grand juries: Growing criticism over who controls the evidence Normally details of what goes on in a grand jury are kept sealed, but in the Eric Garner and Michael Brown cases, the government decided it was in the public interest to release some information. Many have been critical of the grand juries for not bringing charges against the officers and are wondering if the grand jury system is useless. Jan Crawford reports.

Why was NYC's response different than Ferguson's? Demonstrators disrupt NYC streets over the decision not to charge a police officer in the death of Eric Garner. The protests are large, but mostly peaceful, nothing like the rioting in Ferguson, Missouri after a grand jury cleared the police officer who killed Michael Brown. Michelle Miller looks at how preparation and experience made a difference.

NYPD Commissioner answers “chokehold” questions in Eric Garner case CBS Evening News Anchor Scott Pelley questions New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton about whether his department sanctions the chokehold method that was used to take down Eric Garner.