George Floyd’s family is being paid $27 million (USD) by the city of Minneapolis to settle the lawsuit filed over the circumstances of his death.
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed after being pinned down by a police officer, Derek Chauvin, on the streets of Minneapolis.
His death sparked the biggest global protests in modern history. Protests first began in Minneapolis, before rapidly spreading nationwide and then globally, to over 2,000 cities in over 60 countries in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Last year, the Floyd family sued the city and the four police officers involved, saying that the “excessive force” used against Floyd in his arrest was a violation of his constitutional rights.
The Floyd family attorney, Ben Crump, said it was the “largest pre-trial civil rights settlement ever, and sends a powerful message that black lives do matter and police brutality against people of colour must end.”
George Floyd’s life was worth more than $27 million. It was priceless. A settlement of any amount will not save more Black lives because the police are paid to protect capital that is valued higher than any settlement. This is not a consequence. It’s the cost of business. https://t.co/zurZcNYVuM
— derecka (@dereckapurnell) March 12, 2021
Mr Floyd’s sister, Bridgett Floyd, said that she and her family were “pleased that this part of our tragic journey to justice for my brother George is resolved.” Her statement continued, “[that] while our hearts are broken, we are comforted in knowing that even in death, George Floyd showed the world how to live.”
The settlement includes a $US500,000 donation from the family to the community at the Minneapolis intersection where George Floyd died. The intersection is currently barricaded by protestors to prevent police access.
The $27mn settlement by Minneapolis with the family of George Floyd tells cities: BAD COPS are very $$$$.
That $27mn could have nearly doubled the city’s affordable housing budget; doubled health spending; or added 40% to the Fire Dept.
Was Derek Chauvin worth it, Minneapolis?
— Mme Oiselle🐦 Armentières 🌊🌊 (@ivylessner) March 12, 2021
Beyond Chauvin, the three other officers involved in Floyd’s death are due to go on trial later this year on charges of “aiding and abetting [Chauvin in George Floyd’s] death,” – which was recently ruled a homicide by the city’s medical examiner.
