Interview with Shaun King: For Erica Garner, Justice Delayed Was Justice Denied
Shaun King spoke with Democracy Now! about his friend, 27-year-old activist Erica Garner, who died Saturday:
“A lot of people failed Erica and failed the Garner family. And I’m a rather new New Yorker. When I moved to New York, there was this view that I had of the city that it was a progressive haven. And I think that irritated Erica that people saw this city as incredibly progressive, and yet she couldn’t get the most basic form of justice for her family.
And so, they never fired Officer Daniel Pantaleo, which, you know, I even confronted the chief of police myself about this. And they talk about rules and regulations that make it difficult. But here we are, over three years later, and he clearly violated NYPD policy. They didn’t fire him. The city, including the mayor, fought the family, over and over and over again, for the release of his disciplinary records, which was just ridiculous. I think that Mayor de Blasio will look back on this with deep regret. It was a missed opportunity to do right by a family. And now, I really don’t even think it’s something he can make right. Erica was the most fierce defender of her father. And I don’t think there’s really a way that the mayor could fix this at this point.
And so, even the Obama administration and the Justice Department really seemed to make a commitment to Erica—even Donald Trump made a commitment to the Garner family—that they would do something about this. And people continued to just kick the can or, you know, just continued to put it off. And here we are now with Erica’s loss. And it just shows justice delayed is justice denied, in so many ways. And I’m pissed, and Erica was furious. And I think I’m angrier now than I’ve ever been to see a family denied justice like this.”
