President Obama on Thursday addressed the police chokehold death of Eric Garner in New York City, saying the incident should unite Americans to pursue broader reforms.
“There’s the larger question of restoring a sense of common purpose,” Obama said at an event devoted to college affordability. “At the heart of the American ideal is this sense that we’re in it together.”
It’s the second time Obama has waded into the controversy in New York City, a racially sensitive case that comes after the police shooting of a black teenager in Ferguson, Mo.
In both events, grand juries decided not to indict the police officer in question.
The two killings have sparked protests nationwide, and Obama has pledged to issue long-lasting reforms in how police departments operate, particularly in minority communities.
Though he just briefly mentioned the Garner episode, Obama praised New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for his handling of the situation.
But the heated debate in New York City is unlikely to wane anytime soon.
A police association spokesman Thursday insisted that officer Daniel Pantaleo used a “textbook” takedown maneuver on Garner, inspiring even more backlash.
Obama is facing calls to travel to both Ferguson and New York City but has not announced plans to do so.
