NYC to pay USD 5.9 million to Eric Garner's family in choke-hold death case

New York City has reportedly acquiesced to pay USD 5.9 million to the family of Eric Garner, the 43-year-old unarmed black man who died after a violent arrest.

City Comptroller Scott Stringer said that his office had reached a settlement with the estate of Eric Garner after a judicious review of the claim and facts of the case, reported the BBC.

The settlement came after Garner's family members began steps to file a lawsuit against New York, initially seeking USD 75 million.

Garner was arrested on July 17, 2014 outside a store on Staten Island for selling loose, untaxed cigarettes.

After he argued with the police and refused to be handcuffed, Officer Daniel Pantaleo put Garner, who was an asthma patient, in a neck hold. He was wrestled to the ground and restrained by force. Later, he died at a local hospital.

Garner's death was one in a series of controversial incidents in the U.S., where unarmed black people were killed by white cops.

His arrest was captured on video and his words-I can't breathe-became a slogan for protesters nationwide.