Feds must act now on Garner: Al

THE CIVILIAN Complaint Review Board’s recommendation that the cop who killed Eric Garner be disciplined should spur the Department of Justice to complete its investigation, the Rev. Al Sharpton said Saturday.

“We have been waiting on the Department of Justice for three years,” he said of the federal probe into Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo at the National Action Network rally Saturday.

Sharpton said the board’s finding shows that Pantaleo violated department policy and “knowingly violated” Garner’s civil rights.

“The federal government has the basis to move now and go in and bring the federal charges against this man,” he said.

Pantaleo used a banned chokehold while he and other cops arrested Garner in July 2014 for selling untaxed cigarettes. As he collapsed and died, Garner helplessly repeated, “I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.”

Those final words became a rallying cry that fueled the rise of the national Black Lives Matter movement.

Garner’s mother Gwen Carr, who attended the NAN rally, also demanded closure.

“We just hope that they go forward with this and finally maybe do something to justify what has happened,” Carr said. “We’re just hoping this will bring positive results.”