GARNER FAMILY, REV. SHARPTON CALL FOR NON-VIOLENCE AT MORNING PRESS CONFERENCE

A day after two police officers lost their lives by a man allegedly in response to the killing by police of Eric Garner, pictured here with his widow Esaw, and as conservatives blame everyone they hate except the shooter for those officers’ deaths, the Garner family and Rev. Al Sharpton urge calm. We ask again, what next?

One People’s Project

The Rev. Al Sharpton held a press conference today with the mother and widow of Eric Garner to condemn any violence connected to his and the family’s name in the wake of the shooting deaths of two New York police officers many reports say was in response to Garner’s death at the hands of police last summer.

“Those that try now to misuse the names of the victims are not only wrong morally – (speaking) as one who grew up and was raised by some of the lieutenants of Dr. King – they are hurting the cause of these families, and they are insensitive to these families as those who oppose them, Sharpton said at the National Action Network headquarters flanked by Eric Garner’s mother Gwen and his widow Esaw. He and the women all expressed condolences to the families of Police Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu who were reportedly killed by 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who was wanted in Maryland for the murder of his girlfriend, and reportedly wrote on his Instagram account: “I’m putting wings on pigs today. They take 1 of ours, let’s take 2 of theirs.” Brinsley is reported to have killed himself at a nearby subway station.

Gwen Garner made their concerns clear in her brief statement. “”Anyone standing with us we want you to not use Eric Garner’s name for violence, she said. “These officers lost their lives senselessly.”

Esaw Garner concurred. “I know what its like to lose a loved one before the holidays. Please protest in peace,” she said. “My husband was a not a violent man, so we don’t want any violence connected to his message.”

Rev. Sharpton also addressed the attempt by conservatives and police union officials to blame those that have been vocal against police violence in recent months, particularly protesters and elected officials, for the deaths of the two officers, in many instances not even speaking of Ismaaiyl Brinsley, the shooter himself. Sharpton noted that in the wake of the shootings, he has received death threats to his office, one he attempted to play during the conference that said, “Hey n—–, stop killing innocent people. I’m gonna get you.” Shapton said there were several more similar to that message.

“We are now under intense threat from those that are misguided by those that are trying to blame everyone from civil rights leader to the Mayor rather than deal with an ugly spirit that all of us need to fight,” he said, noting that the threats are being handed over to the FBI.

Rev. Sharpton also led a prayer service at St. Luke Baptist Church on W. 123^rd St.