USA TODAY By: NINA MANDELL | 12/4/14

Charles Barkley continued to speak out about race relations and police in America in an interview with CNN that aired on Wednesday, saying that he didn’t think the New York City police officers involved in the death of Eric Garner should be indicted.

Garner, who was suspected of selling cigarettes illegally, died after an officer put him in an illegal chokehold while attempting to arrest him in July. The incident, which was caught on videotape, sparked national outrage.

“I don’t think that was a homicide. I think the cops were trying to arrest him and they got a little aggressive,” Barkley told CNN’s Brooke Baldwin. “I think excessive force — something like that — but to go right to murder?”

The decision not to indict the officers came hours after the interview aired, setting off protests around New York City.

“Brooke, when the cops are trying to arrest you, if you fight back, things go wrong. I don’t think they were trying to kill Mr. Garner,” Barkley continued. “He was a big man and they tried to get him down.”

Barkley also reiterated points he has said before about the riots in Ferguson and police in the interview.

“The notion that white cops are out there just killing black people is ridiculous. It’s just flat-out ridiculous,” he said.

“I challenge any black person to try to make that point. Cops are absolutely awesome. They’re the only thing in the ghetto from — between — this place being the wild, wild west. So this notion that cops are out there killing black men is ridiculous.”