I Can't Breathe

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This riveting work of literary journalism delves into the roots and repercussions of the tragic killing of Eric Garner by New York City police. On July 17, 2014, Garner, a forty-three-year-old black man, died on a Staten Island sidewalk after an officer placed him in an illegal chokehold during an arrest for selling bootleg cigarettes. His final moments, captured on video, revealed his agonized last words, "I can't breathe," which became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement. A grand jury later declined to indict the officer involved. The author offers a deeply reported retelling that humanizes Garner, portraying him as a husband and father with a complicated personal history—neither villain nor victim, but a proud individual facing overwhelming challenges. The narrative also examines the broader conditions that allowed this tragedy to occur, featuring vivid depictions of life on the streets and within the flawed court system. The account highlights issues of policing, mass incarceration, and racial disparities in law enforcement. It critiques various figures, from the conservative district attorney to the progressive mayor, ultimately presenting a masterful narrative that confronts the human cost of a broken criminal justice system.