RSS Feed
March 15th, 2021 
Awake Goy 
In order to settle a wrongful death
lawsuit, the city of Minneapolis agreed Friday to pay $27 million to the family
of George Floyd.
On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis Police
Officer Derek Chauvin was recorded on video kneeling against George
Floyd’s neck for at least eight minutes despite the
fact that Floyd had already been handcuffed and remained motionless for the
majority of that time. Floyd lost consciousness and died in police custody as
many onlookers begged the officers to stop killing him.
Floyd’s nose was also bleeding
profusely for several minutes as Officer Chauvin continued to kneel across the
back of his neck. Officers Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng were
recorded on video standing beside Chauvin while ignoring the witnesses who
repeatedly begged for Floyd’s life.
The next day, all four officers
were terminated from the Minneapolis Police Department. On May 29, 2020,
Chauvin was arrested and charged with third degree murder and second degree
manslaughter. Opening statements at his trial are scheduled for later this month.
Thou, Lane, and Kueng have been
charged with aiding and abetting both second degree murder
and manslaughter. They are expected to go to trial in August.
In July 2020, the family of George
Floyd filed a federal civil rights lawsuit accusing the four officers of causing
Floyd’s wrongful death. On Friday, the city of Minneapolis agreed to pay $27
million to Floyd’s family in order to settle the suit against the police
department and the city.
“I thank the state of Minnesota for
getting this settlement taken care of,” Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd, told CNN.
“But even though my brother is not here, he’s here with me in my heart. Because
if I could get him back, I would give all of this back.
“I know that he’s with us, and he’s
standing up, right now, knowing that we have the opportunity to be able to fund
low-income, African American communities.”
“The settlement is not just
historic because of the $27 million paid out but for the impact on social
justice policy reforms and police reforms,” said Ben Crump, Floyd’s family
attorney. “Because the financial compensation most directly impacts George
Floyd, and his family, the future of his family. But it is the policy reforms
that affect all of us.”
“No amount of money can ever
address the intense pain or trauma caused by this death to George Floyd’s
family or to the people of our city,” stated Minneapolis City Council President
Lisa Bender. “Minneapolis has been fundamentally changed by this time of racial
reckoning, and this city council is united in working together with our
community and the Floyd family to equitably reshape our city of Minneapolis.”
Posted in 
Tags: 
