Although many of those families flanked the governor at the signing and applauded the move, they also expressed disappointment that the order does not encompass all police-related civilian deaths, but only those cases in which the victim was unarmed or where there is significant question if the victim was armed and dangerous, as determined by the attorney general.
“It doesn’t answer all the questions,” said Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, who died in a confrontation with police on Staten Island last July. “But it is a step in the right direction.”
Yul-san Liem, co-director of the Justice Committee, an advocacy group that has urged such action, said: “When we originally met with the governor in April, the families were very clear that we want all cases covered. That was a commitment that the governor made. He said that if we don’t get permanent legislation passed, at the end of the legislative session we will do the executive order that you are asking for.”
