I Can't Breathe by Matt Taibbi- Book Review

We know the story- On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner was surrounded by police for selling "loosies" (loose cigarettes). When he questions why he is being arrested, he attempts to walk away, when he is wrestled to the ground in a chokehold. As he is dying, he repeats the phrase- "I can't breathe" over and over again, until he dies. The police officer continued to hold him until he died. There was no indictment, but only an internal investigation. It was settled out of court for $5 million.

This book looks at the incident from all sorts of angles- what was happening at the time leading up to the death, what were the policing policies in place at the time, why was this hold used, etc. Taibbi talks to people that know Garner, people in similar situations, and proves a full account of that day.

I will admit I was a bit hesitant requesting this as a galley. The hesitancy came from the question- can a white guy tell a black man's story and do it well? Taibbi didn't have the experiences that Garner had and even though Taibbi is an incredible journalist, I wondered if the story could be told with justice.

After reading it, I can say, absolutely yes Taibbi did a fantastic job. While other authors touch upon Garner and lift up similar issues- such as Guiliani's crack down on crime, the rise of loosie's, etc, having that information all in one place was a big help. It led to a fuller story and Taibbi goes into Garner's life a bit more than some other authors do.

This was a tragic read, but a well researched and complete narrative. I am glad I read it.

I gave it 4.5 stars.

*I want to thank NetGalley for the advanced copy. I received it in exchange for an honest review*