On July 17, 2014, 43-year-old Eric Garner spoke his final words, which have now become an integral part of the #BlackLivesMatter movement: “I can’t breathe.”
Now, almost a year to the day later, Garner’s family and New York City have reached a $5.9 million settlement after the filing of a wrongful-death suit following Garner’s death during an arrest by the NYPD almost exactly a year ago.
Following Garner’s death, his family had filed a notice of claim and was initially looking for $75 million from the city. Had the city not come to a decision before Friday, the family would have moved forward with the lawsuit.
