In July officers in New York attempted to , Eric Garner, 43, on suspicion of selling loose cigarettes in the street.
An officer put the him in a chokehold – a move forbidden by the New York Police Department – which left the father of two struggling to breathe.
A video from the scene captured the moment Eric was wrestled to the ground and caught him crying out “I can’t breathe”.
Tragically, Eric became unresponsive and was pronounced dead in hospital following the incident.
His death was classified as homicide – meaning he died at the hands of another person but that a crime was not necessarily committed – and the medical examiner concluded his death was the result of “the compression of his chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police”.
The officer who used the move, Daniel Pantaleo, was taken off duty as the investigation began and in Augist, Staten Island’s district attorney, Daniel M. Donovan Jr revealed he would convene a grand jury to hear the case.
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However, earlier this week, Donovan Jr said the grand jury found "no reasonable cause" to bring charges, sparking international protests and condemnation over the decision.
All over America Human Rights Groups and concerned citizens have taken to the streets, with celebrities including John Legend and Nicki Minaj lending their support to the #ICantBreathe campaign.
Nicki Minaj lent her support for the protest, writing on her Instagram:
“This world just got so much scarier. RIP Eric Garner & God bless his family during this time of blatant & horrifying injustice.”
Eric’s children have branded his death as barbaric, with his daughter Erica telling Yahoo, “They treated him like an animal. And my father wasn’t an animal.”
She added: Even though he was 350 pounds and 6'6, he wasn't an animal, he was a big a teddy bear. He was lovable, loved by everybody that he came in contact with.
“I was disappointed, very disappointed [with the grand jury decision]. It's still like, why? You've seen him die on national TV just like everybody else. Why?”
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The US city’s mator, Bill de Blasio has tried to calm the situation, saying policing in New York “has to change” while police commissioner William J Bratton announced 22,000 officers would be retrained following Eric’s death.
However their words mean little to the family of Eric and the people who’ve been so deeply affected by his death.
Tonight, (5 December) protests continue across the world with people demanding action and change.