Above: Eric Garner’s daughter, Emerald Snipes, places candle at memorial for NYPD officers. Source THEODORE PARISIENNE FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS.
‘I know how it feels this season to not have your father around’
Emerald Snipes-Garner, the 22 year old daughter of Eric Garner visited the memorial for the two police officers killed over the weekend. She is the youngest daughter of Eric Garner.
Snipes said she was moved by the comments of 13-year-old Jaden Ramos, the son of Officer Rafael Ramos, who said, ‘Today I had to say bye to my dad.’ She said of his comment “It hit my heart because I know what it feels like, with this upcoming season and you don’t have your father around, I know firsthand what you’re feeling.” She told the NY Post that she had earlier visited the family of one of the slain cops, Officer Rafael Ramos.
Snipes laid flowers and placed a candle at the memorial site. She said her father would not have wanted violence: “And I just want everyone to know that we have to pray for the mental health of the activists and people. … And you know, I want to let everyone know that we have to be peaceful. My father wasn’t a violent man. He was very peaceful. There are ways that you can do things without letting tragedies happen.”
She told ABC News “I just had to come out and let their family know that we stand with them, and I’m going to send my prayers and condolences to all the families who are suffering through this tragedy,” she told ABC News. “I was never anti-police. Like I said before, I have family that’s in the NYPD that I’ve grown up around, family reunions and everything so my family you know, we’re not anti-police.”
“There are bad cops, and there are good cops and, unfortunately, this tragedy happened. I just want to send my love out to everyone who is affected by this tragedy,” Snipes said, according to the NY Post.
Snipes went on to say that the killings of the officers had nothing to do with her father or the protests against police abuse, rather it was a “mental health crisis” and the man had no way to express himself.