Esaw Snipes-Garner, an activist and the widow of Eric Garner — who died in 2014 after a New York City police officer placed him in a prohibited chokehold — has passed away. Her death was announced by Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN). She was 58.
According to a media representative, Snipes-Garner died early Monday morning due to health complications.
In a statement, Dominique Sharpton, NAN’s national director of membership and producer of special events, praised Snipes-Garner’s resilience in the face of profound personal loss, including the deaths of her husband and their daughter, Erica Garner, in 2017.
“Tragedy can beget tragedy in life, and she weathered more than any single person ever should have to — especially the loss of a child,” Dominique said. “Yet Esaw found the resolve to keep going, keep fighting, and protect her family. She showed the nation the emotional impact unjust police killings of Black and Brown Americans can have on those left to pick up the pieces.”
Eric Garner died during an encounter with NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who used a banned chokehold while attempting to arrest Garner for allegedly selling untaxed cigarettes in Staten Island. The incident, recorded on cellphone video, captured Garner saying, “I can’t breathe,” 11 times. The city’s medical examiner ruled his death a homicide.
Their daughter, Erica Garner, became a prominent activist following her father’s death. She died in 2017 at age 27 after suffering a heart attack.
Despite widespread public outcry and the video evidence, a grand jury declined to indict Pantaleo, and the U.S. Department of Justice ultimately chose not to bring federal charges.