New York City has agreed to pay $5.9m to the family of Eric Garner, the 43-year-old man who died on Staten Island last July after being placed in an illegal chokehold by a police officer.
The New York City comptroller, Scott Stringer, announced the settlement in a statement.
“Following a judicious review of the claim and facts of this case, my office was able to reach a settlement with the estate of Eric Garner that is in the best interests of all parties,” Stringer said.
The city’s medical examiner ruled the death a homicide but Daniel Pantaleo, the officer who placed Garner in a chokehold during an arrest for selling loose cigarettes, was not indicted.
The grand jury decision not to hand down an indictment led to widespread protests and tension in the city in December.
Garner’s last words, “I can’t breathe” – which were recorded on video by a bystander – became a rallying call for protests around the country over the deaths of African American men at the hands of police officers, including that of Michael Brown, 18, in Ferguson, Missouri.
A New York police department investigation into the death is reported to have been completed, but no conclusions or disciplinary measures have been announced. A number of other bodies are investigating the case, amid calls for federal charges.
Stringer’s statement said: “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. It forced us to examine the state of race relations, and the relationship between our police force and the people they serve.”
Stringer said he could not discuss details of the settlement, and said the city admitted no liability.
He said: “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.”
The New York Times quoted the Garner family’s attorney, Jonathan Moore, as saying the city had been given until Friday, the anniversary of the death, to come to an agreement or face a lawsuit.
On Monday, speaking to reporters in the Bronx, New York’s mayor, Bill de Blasio, said: “Obviously, the anniversary is on my mind. I think it’s on the mind of many New Yorkers. And I think the important thing is to stay focused on the work of reform.”
In an email to the Guardian, Moore said he could confirm the settlement and indicated that details would be made available at a Tuesday morning press conference, at the headquarters of Reverend Al Sharpton’s National Action Network in Harlem.
The Garner family, who reportedly rejected an offer of $5m last week, had filed notice of a lawsuit for $75m.
