Media advisory: Law professor can comment on grand jury decision to not indict officer in Eric Garner death

LAWRENCE — Corey Rayburn Yung, criminal law professor at the University of Kansas School of Law, is available to speak with media about a grand jury’s decision not to indict police officers in the death of Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York.

Wednesday, a Staten Island grand jury decided not to indict a white police officer in the death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man. Video showed officers putting Garner in a choke hold while arresting him and Garner saying “I can’t breathe.” The decision led to mass protests, which were peaceful in comparison to those that included rioting and arson in the wake of a similar decision in the Michael Brown case.

Yung can speak about the makeup of grand juries, the process used in the Garner case, media reporting on the Garner and Brown cases, use of cameras by police officers and shootings by police in general.

His research focuses on criminal law, sex crimes and judicial decision-making. His scholarship has been cited by several federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. To schedule an interview, contact Mike Krings at 785-864-8860 or by email.