The oldest daughter of Eric Garner, the black man whose dying calls of “I can’t breathe” after he was placed in a chokehold by a police officer became a protest chant across the country, has been hospitalized following a heart attack, her mother said on Monday.
Erica Garner, 27, was in a medically induced coma, her mother, Esaw Snipes, said in a brief telephone interview.
After her father’s death on Staten Island in 2014, Erica Garner campaigned for police accountability, demanding justice for not only her father but also for others who were killed during encounters with the police. She has sought answers from President Obama and castigated Mayor Bill de Blasio over policing matters. In 2016, she campaigned on behalf of Senator Bernie Sanders for president, introducing him at a rally in South Carolina.
Erica Garner was hospitalized on Saturday night, her mother said, after an asthma episode caused a heart attack. Ms. Snipes said her daughter had given birth four months ago and during the pregnancy had learned that she had heart problems. Ms. Snipes declined to name the hospital where her daughter was being treated.
“Right now, the family is just praying and asking for everyone to keep her in their prayers,” said Ms. Snipes, who is the widow of Eric Garner.
Mr. Garner was killed in July 2014 when plainclothes officers from the New York Police Department were arresting him for selling single, untaxed cigarettes.
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