He rejected the notion race played a role in the death of Garner,
who was African-American.
The commissioner, who met with local FBI officials about the
incident, said he anticipated a civil suit by Garner’s family and
“would not be surprised if the U.S. attorney decides to open a civil
rights violation investigation.”
An autopsy performed on Garner, who was asthmatic and obese,
failed to determine a cause of death.
“Further tests need to be conducted before determining a manner
and cause of death,” said Julie Bolcer, a spokeswoman for the
medical examiner’s office.
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