NEW YORK (Sputnik) — Relatives of eight victims who were killed by police called on the US state of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to assign a special prosecutor to review all cases of deadly force by police, the Justice Committee said in a press release.
“Since February, the surviving family members of eight New Yorkers killed by the police over the past decades have been demanding Governor Cuomo exercise his executive power to authorize the appointment of a special prosecutor to examine and prosecute police killings,” the release said on Tuesday.
The relatives, including Gwen Carr — mother of Eric Garner who was killed after a New York police officer placed him in a chokehold — scolded Cuomo and the New York Justice Department for their lack of action.
"My son said he couldn’t breathe eleven times on camera and there was no indictment,” Carr was quoted as saying by the Justice Committee. “The District Attorney didn’t do their job.”
Valeria Bell, mother of Sean Bell who was shot by the police in 2006, and several others relatives of victims, also demanded that Cuomo meet with them to discuss possible police reforms.
The Governor’s office did not return Sputnik’s requests for comment.
