NEW YORK (AP) — Members of New York’s congressional delegation are asking the Justice Department to formally investigate last month’s police custody death of Eric Garner and the law enforcement strategy known as “broken windows.”
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and five other Democrats say “broken windows” disproportionately affects the black and Latino communities.
An autopsy showed Garner died of a chokehold. Police suspected him of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes.
A letter sent Wednesday to Attorney General Eric Holder is signed by Jeffries and Representatives Yvette Clarke, Gregory Meeks, Charles Rangel, Jose Serrano and Nydia Velazquez.
The furor over the death has resulted in the biggest test of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s first year in office.
He has vowed to support the NYPD but also pledged to help communities of color who feel mistreated by police.
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