The city of New York will pay out $4 million to the family of Eric Garner, officials announced, the bulk of a previously approved $5.9 million settlement. Garner died three years ago during an arrest gone wrong; police placed him in a chokehold. The money will be divided up between his family, his widow receiving the largest payout of $1.4 million, his mother and children receiving the rest.
His three-year-old daughter Legacy Garner-Miller will get about $1.3 million. According to news reports, Garner’s other daughters– Erica and Emerald Snipes– will each be paid $163,600. Their older brother Eric will get $204,000 and their younger brother Emery, who is a minor, will receive $482,000. His mom Gwen Carr, who is overseeing her late son’s estate, will get $82,0000.
Over the next three months, the family will receive payments in installments.
“I’m very happy that Legacy is going to be getting an increase in funds from that was originally proposed,” said Lorraine Coyle, the lawyer representing Garner-Miller. “The big issue is what the attorneys fees are.”
“We are all familiar with the events that led to the death of Eric Garner and the extraordinary impact his passing has had on our city and our nation,” said city Comptroller Scott Stringer via a statement released two years ago when the settlement was approved.
“ It forced us to examine the state of race relations, and the relationship between our police force and the people they serve. I believe that we have reached an agreement that acknowledges the tragic nature of Mr. Garner’s death while balancing my office’s fiscal responsibility to the city.”
