Anti-police-brutality activist Erica Garner suffered “major” brain damage after a Dec. 24 heart attack, according to her family.
Garner — whose father, Eric Garner, died in 2014 after being placed in a chokehold by a New York City Police Department officer, sparking major protests — “suffered major brain damage from a lack of oxygen while in cardiac arrest,” according to an update posted on the 27-year-old’s verified Twitter account.
Update: Cat scan shows Erica suffered major brain damage from a lack of oxygen while in cardiac arrest. Please continue to pray hard for Erica and pray for her family and kids just as much.
— officialERICA GARNER (@es_snipes) December 28, 2017
Garner is currently in a coma at Brooklyn’s Woodhull Hospital, according to updates on her Twitter feed. Her December heart attack was apparently prompted by an asthma attack, and she had suffered another heart attack following the birth of her son in August, Garner’s mother told WABC.
On Thursday, New York City Councilman Jumaane Williams tweeted a message implying that Garner had died, which her friends and family quickly took to social media to deny.