The death of Eric Garner is largely responsible for creating the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
A New York City police officer has been fired five years after the chokehold death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man.
Garner was heard crying “I can’t breathe” as officer Daniel Pantaleo choked him until he died.
Pantaleo was only suspended earlier this month, having been on desk duty since footage of Mr Garner’s death showed him using the banned chokehold.
He has now been fired from his job, with Police Commissioner James O’Neill saying that Garner’s death was an “irreversible tragedy” that “must have a consequence”.
“It is clear that Daniel Pantaleo can no longer effectively serve as a New York City Police officer,” he said.
Footage of the incident was shared widely on social media, which led to the birth of the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
Garner was approached by police initially for apparently selling cigarettes without a licence on the side of the street.
Pantaleo never received criminal charges for the incident, but the city of New York was forced to pay a £4.86 million settlement to Garner’s family the following year to avoid a lawsuit.
Athletes including LeBron James and Kyrie Irving wore “I can’t breathe” t-shirts after Garner’s death, as part of the protests.
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