The daughter of police chokehold victim ??Eric Garner divulged details from her family’s meeting Wednesday with ?the ?Department of Justice — and panned former President Barack Obama for “passing the buck” in the investigation into her dad’s death.
In a series of tweets Thursday morning, Erica Snipes, 27, said prosecutors told her more progress has been made in the long-running case under President Trump’s administration than Obama’s.
“DOJ ASSURED us that MOST OF THE PROGRESS MADE IN THE GARNER CASE HAS BEEN WITH #TRUMP ADMINISTRATION … 6 months vs 2.5 years … SMDH,” she wrote following Wednesday’s meeting with two prosecutors at a ?downtown ?Brooklyn hotel. “They ASSURED us that a decision would be made within a few months, that they would not drag it out.”
Last year, DOJ officials from Washington took over the probe from feds in Brooklyn who’d been handling the civil rights probe into NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo?’s chokehold that brought Garner, suspected of selling bootleg cigarettes on Staten Island, to the ground?.
Grand jurors in Brooklyn federal court have been hearing evidence in the case for well over a year.
The DOJ met with Snipes, Garner’s family and the Rev. Al Sharpton to tell them they were still working hard on the case — but that a decision on the charges had not yet been reached.
“It was shocking when they told me #trump did more to investigate my dads case than #Obama did,” Snipes wrote. “I looked #obama in the eye, and he gave me some song and dance about not wanting to look like he was putting his thumb on the scale.”
Snipes said she has video of the DOJ prosecutor saying “in almost smug (you loved Obama soo much) type voice, that #trump is getting it done.”
“Not only has it not slowed down (the case) THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE FEDERAL INVESTIGATION HAS TAKEN PLACE SINCE THIS TEAM WAS PUT IN PLACE,” she ?said the prosecutor told her. “Thats the quote. I dont understand it. I knew Obama didnt want to be president of Black America but damn dog… You passed the buck.”
Snipes continued, “I dont understand how #obama and #lynch could hold my dads case for 2.5 years and not make it a priority … Dog, I hope this is fake news.
“Imma go on record here. If the #trump team brings this case in for justice. I’m not resisting sh–, f— what u heard. I’ll be with him.”
Garner died in July 2014 when Pantaleo put him in a chokehold and wrestled him to the ground, causing the 43-year-old dad to scream out, “I can’t breathe!”
His death was ruled a homicide by the city Medical Examiner’s Office, but a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict Pantaleo in Garner’s death.