On Tuesday police in New York City arrested Eric Garner's son after they say he was in possession of a stolen bike, but his mother says it was all a misunderstanding.
Emery Snipes, 16, was arrested after police discovered Emery and friends in the Cpl. John A. Seravalli Playground in Manhattan after dark. According to the New York Daily News, the park closes at nightfall. Emery was allegedly in possession of a Citibike, part of a community bike-share program that allows users to rent bikes. Police asked Emery for a receipt showing that he had rented the bike. When the teen was unable to produce the receipt, the cops called the company, only to learn that the bike's serial number came back stolen, the News reports.
Emery's father, Eric Garner, was killed in July 2014 after a struggle with police outside a Staten Island store.
Garner's death was captured on video, and "the city’s medical examiner ruled that the choke hold Officer Daniel Pantaleo put on Garner led to his death." A grand jury did not charge the officer in Garner's death, but the Daily News notes that the U.S. Justice Department is still deciding whether Pantaleo will face federal civil rights charges.
Emery's mother, Esaw Garner, told the Daily News that her son's arrest was a big misunderstanding. "My son is not a thief," she said. "He just happened to be with his friends. He did not know that the Citibike had been taken."
Emery was issued a traffic summons by police and was ordered to complete a day of community service by a judge, who noted that the case would be tossed as long as the teen stayed out of trouble for the next six months, the Daily News reports.
Esaw Garner told the Daily News that staying out of trouble shouldn't be a problem for Emery, since he's grounded.
"He didn’t know that he couldn't be in the park after dark," she said. "But right now, he's not going out at all. He's definitely grounded. I’m even taking his cellphone until I think he's earned the right to have it back."
Read more at the New York Daily News.