Erica Garner, a 27-year-old African American woman, died on December 30, 2017, in a Brooklyn hospital. Her death was not the result of a violent act, and consequently, there were no arrests or suspects. Instead, her passing was attributed to a heart attack, the tragic culmination of a life marked by personal grief and relentless activism.
The narrative of Erica's final years is deeply intertwined with the death of her father, Eric Garner, who died in 2014 after being placed in a
chokehold by a New York City police officer. This event thrust Erica into the national spotlight as she became a prominent and outspoken advocate for police reform and racial justice. She channeled her profound personal loss into a public fight for accountability, organizing marches and speaking out against police brutality.
However, the emotional and psychological toll of her father's death and her subsequent activism was immense. Friends and family noted that she never truly recovered from the trauma of losing her father. This enduring stress is believed to have contributed to her declining health. The physical strain on her body was exacerbated by the birth of her second child in August 2017, after which she suffered her first heart attack and was diagnosed with an enlarged heart.
In the days leading up to her death, Erica suffered another major heart attack triggered by an asthma attack. She fell into a coma and was found to have sustained major brain damage. Her death was announced by the Rev. Al Sharpton, who stated that while the cause of death was a heart attack, her heart was already broken from the fight for justice for her father.
