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Eric Garner's Memorial Burns Down On MLK Day; Family Suspects Arson

NY Fire Department is not investigating.

A memorial for Eric Garner, the New York City man who was killed by a police officer in July, burned down on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Authorities say there was no criminal activity involved in the fire, according to NBC New York. Garner's daughter, however, tweeted that she suspects foul play.

Garner's stepfather, Benjamin Carr, also believes it was arson. He told NBC New York that firefighters responded to the fire.

"I'm going to rebuild it," Carr said. "Every damn time they tear it down, I'm gonna put it back."

The fire department is not investigating because they say the fire was started by candles, BuzzFeed reports.

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The memorial was put together at the spot where the 43-year-old father of six was taken down by officer Daniel Pantaleo. In an amateur video, Garner could be heard saying "I can't breathe" nearly a dozen times before he died. Protests spread across the country after a jury decided not to indict the officer.

A similar memorial to slain teen Michael Brown burned down in September in Ferguson, Missouri. And while it was unclear how the blaze started, it caused even more unrest in the already tumultuous city.

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