Eric Garner’s Daughter Blasts Release of Body Camera Footage of Tyre Nichols, Says It Was Treated Like the ‘Premiere of a Movie’

Emerald Garner, the daughter of Eric Garner, has criticized the release of body camera footage showing the beating that led to the death of Tyre Nichols.

Nichols, 29, died in the hospital three days after being brutally assaulted by five Memphis police officers on January 10.

Shocking footage of the assault was released with heavy fanfare on Friday evening.

Garner took issue with the rollout, saying it was treated like the “premiere of a movie,” while speaking to NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo.

“The fact that we waited for this video to be released like it was an exclusive movie that needed to be premiered on a certain day, it really boils my blood,” Garner said.

Garner said that by releasing the footage in the way that they did, it was akin to a “public lynching.”

“Tonight was a direct show of just how they do things,” she said, adding, “You held it like it was a premiere of a movie that needed to be watched by the world — a public lynching.”

Eric Garner was killed by a New York City police officer in 2014 after a confrontation over him selling single cigarettes at his Staten Island shop.

The former officers involved, Daniel Pantaleo and Justin D’Amico, were fired from the department — but not convinced of any crimes.

“For me, it’s always been, it’s a slap in the face. There was no justice,” Garner said of of her father’s case. “In this case of Tyre Nichols, justice was served swiftly.”

All five former officers involved in Nichols’ death — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith — have already been arrested and charged with second-degree murder, among other charges.

“If we would have had that in 2014, would there have been a Tyre Nichols today?” she added. “I don’t think so.”

Protests and riots occurred in multiple US cities after the Nichols footage was released.

The protests are currently ongoing.

 

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