Erica Garner, outspoken activist after her dad was police chokehold victim, dies

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Erica Garner, the daughter of Eric Garner has died. She was 27 years old. Garner became an activist after her father died on Staten Island, N.Y., in 2014 as police were trying to arrest him. USA TODAY

Erica Garner, who became an outspoken critic of police brutality following the death of her father during a police chokehold, died Saturday while in a coma following a massive heart attack.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, in announcing Garner’s death Saturday, says she fought for justice and was “a warrior to the end.” She died in a New York hospital.

Garner, 27, became an activist after her father, Eric Garner, died on Staten Island, N.Y., in 2014 as police were trying to arrest him on suspicion of selling single cigarettes from packs without tax stamps.

In the incident, captured on video, Garner's last words, "I can't breathe," became a slogan for activists. 

His daughter had been in a coma after suffering cardiac arrest on Christmas Eve. Her mother, Esaw Snipes-Garner, said her daughter suffered her first heart attack not long after giving birth in August, WABC-TV reports.

"Her heart was bigger than the world. It really really was," her official Twitter account said in a statement confirming her death. "She cared when most people wouldn't have. She was good. She only pursued right, no matter what. No one gave her justice."

During the 2016 campaign, the activist endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, for president in the Democratic primaries and appeared in a campaign ad on his behalf. 

Shortly after Erica was hospitalized, Sanders issued a statement on Twitter regarding her activism.

“My thoughts are with Erica Garner,” he said. “I have had the privilege of joining with her at a number of events and was deeply impressed with her courage and insights.”