i'm amy goodman with nermeen shaikh. >> welcome to all our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. the justice department has announced it will launch a civil rights investigation into the death of eric garner after a grand jury decided not to charge a white new york police officer for causing his death. garner, who was an african-american father of six, died in july after being placed him in a chokehold and wrestled to the ground. the grand jury's decision set off protests across new york that shut down parts of the city including the brooklyn bridge, the west side highway and the lincoln tunnel. protesters also staged a die-in and grand central. at least 80 people were arrested. garner was first confronted on july 17 by police for allegedly selling single untaxed cigarettes known as "loosies" on the streets of staten island. >> what happened next was recorded by a bystander. in the video, the officer daniel pantaleo can be seen placing garner, who was unarmed, in a chokehold just before he c