Intro

One day before the fifth anniversary of Eric Garner’s death at the hands of police officers in New York, the Justice Department said it would not bring federal civil rights charges against an officer involved. We look at that decision. Guest: Ashley Southall, who covers New York for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Background reading:

• Attorney General William P. Barr made the call not to seek a civil rights indictment against Officer Daniel Pantaleo.
• “The D.O.J. has failed us,” Mr. Garner’s mother, Gwen Carr, said. “Five years ago, my son said ‘I can’t breathe’ 11 times. Today, we can’t breathe. Because they have let us down.”

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