[ad_1]
Minneapolis City Council on Friday approved a $ 27 million civil settlement with the family of George Floyd for the black man’s death in custody last year. City council voted 13-0 to approve the bylaw, which provides that $ 500,000 will be used to benefit the George Floyd Memorial site at 38th and Chicago.
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis cop who knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes is currently on trial for murder and manslaughter. Three other ex-officers involved in the fatal arrest are accused of complicity and will be tried jointly in August. The family lawsuit was filed against the city on July 15, alleging that the four former officers violated Floyd’s rights when they detained him, CBS Minnesota reported.
“Mr. Floyd died because the weight of the entire Minneapolis Police Department was on his neck,” attorney Ben Crump, who represents the family, said when the complaint was filed.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Floyd’s death sparked “a century of reckoning around racial justice that struck Minneapolis like love at first sight” and reverberated around the world. Frey said the settlement reflected a commitment to advancing racial justice and thanked Floyd’s family for their partnership with the city in reform measures.
Speaking on Friday, Floyd’s family said they were grateful for the settlement, but said no amount of money could heal the pain of his loss.
“Even though my brother isn’t here, he’s here with me in my heart,” said Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd. “Because if I could get it back, I would give it all back.”
Floyd said his brother had started a movement and thanked supporters, especially those who took to the streets to protest amid a pandemic.
“You put your life on the line – there’s nothing I can do to be able to pay you back because you’ve shown who you are,” Philonise Floyd said.
Crump called the settlement “historic” and thanked the city’s leaders, whom he called “progressive and deeply moral.” Crump said the regulations send a message that unjust killings of blacks should not be seen as “trivial, unimportant or unworthy of consequence.”
“George Floyd’s family and our legal team are very grateful to Mayor Frey and City Council for not just saying you care for George Floyd, but also showing you care for George Floyd – not just saying that Black lives matter, but to show the world that black lives matter, ”Crump said.
Crump noted that Saturday marked a dark anniversary – a year after the fatal police shooting Breonna Taylor in Louisville during a botched police raid. Floyd and Taylor will be “forever linked in history as two people who were taken from us by the people who were meant to protect them, to serve them,” Crump said.
Floyd’s family have been in contact with Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, Crump said.
Crump also pleaded for protesters to remain peaceful as the Chauvin trial continues with jury selection.
In a statement, Floyd’s sister Bridgett Floyd, who was not present, said: “I am happy this part of our tragic journey to justice for my brother George has been resolved.”
“Our family suffered irreplaceable loss on May 25 when George’s life was taken for no reason by a Minneapolis police officer,” said Bridgett Floyd. “While we will never find our beloved George, we will continue to work tirelessly to make this world a better and safer place for all.”
The lawsuit also said the city allowed a culture of excessive force and racism to proliferate within the police department. Speaking on Friday, attorneys representing Floyd’s family members said they were encouraged that the Minneapolis Police Department suffered substantial reforms, but will push for more change.
Lawyer Antonio Romanucci said the family hope more reforms are implemented within the police department, including a committee to review all use of force incidents, an insurance unit of the quality to ensure that reforms are adhered to and an early intervention system that will rely on analysis to identify those responsible for the problems. He said the settlement should be a “wake-up call” for law enforcement agencies across the country to swiftly undertake reforms to prevent unnecessary deaths and serious injuries.
“This case has been defined as a landmark event for civil rights in America and around the world,” said Romanucci. “I can tell you … this sounds like a turning point for police reform, but only because there have been conscious choices made to do so.”
[ad_2]
Source link