The mother and widow of Eric Garner, who died after being placed in a chokehold by a New York City police officer, on Sunday condemned the shooting of two officers in Brooklyn.
“We are going in peace, and anyone who is standing with us, we want you to not use Eric Garner’s name for violence because we are not about that,” Garner’s mother Gwen Carr said at a press conference with Al Sharpton. “These two (NYPD) police officers lost their lives senselessly. Our condolences to the families — and we stand with the families.”
Garner’s widow, Esaw Garner, also asked protesters not to resort to violence.
“Please protest in non-violent ways. My husband was not a violent man, so we don’t want any violence connected to his name,” she said.
Watch the press conference via the Associated Press. Garner’s family begins speaking at the 2:02 mark:
Unlike the NYPD union president, THESE folks show real class…
Or Ghoulianish for that matter.
The Garner family knows all too well about the pain of losing a loved one to violence. Their public condemnation of violence is admirable, and shows great empathy. Hopefully, others will follow their example.
I’m sorry, that in their time of loss and grief, they have to do this. That they are dragged into the middle of this.
I feel so bad for the officers, but this isn’t the Garner’s responsibility, nor should Lynch and company keep trying to make it so.
A very classy move by the Garner family who could have easily just not said a thing. But they chose to put themselves, and the only proper message that could and should be spoken, out there for all the right wing, Lynch-inspired haters to attack. Without any such intention, the Garner family is making the leadership of the NYPD look very small-minded indeed.