George Floyd, at left, and Derek Chauvin.Photo: Splash
The family ofGeorge Floydwill be awarded $27 million after the settlement of a civil suit brought against the city of Minneapolis and the four police officers present at the time of Floyd’s killing.
A memorial at the Minneapolis site where George Floyd was killed.Getty
Prosecutors had charged Chauvin with second-degree murder and manslaughter, but after an appellate court ruling last week, they were allowed to include an additional charge of third-degree murder.
The three other now-former officers on the scene – J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao – each were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. They will be tried apart from Chauvin this summer.
All four have pleaded not guilty.
“Our family is grateful for all those who care so deeply about George’s life and our loss, and this agreement is a necessary step for all of us to begin to get some closure,” Floyd’s brother, Rodney Floyd, said in a statement after the settlement released through the family’s legal team.
“George’s legacy for those who loved him will always be his spirit of optimism that things can get better, and we hope this agreement does just that – that it makes things a little better in Minneapolis and holds up a light for communities around the country,” Rodney Floyd said.
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Included in the settlement is $500,000 to enhance the neighborhood where Floyd was killed and where the resulting protests, which at times turned violent, erupted.
A third Floyd family attorney, L. Chris Stewart, said: “Even as the trial against former officer Derek Chauvin moves forward and the family waits for justice in the criminal courts, this settlement imparts a measure of justice that is meaningful, important and necessary. It provides a path forward for our clients and ensures that George Floyd’s death will result in substantive, positive change.”
Earlier this month in Washington, D.C., the House of Representativespassedand sent for Senate consideration theGeorge Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a wide-ranging bill that aims to “hold law enforcement accountable for misconduct in court, improve transparency through data collection, and reform police training and policies,” according to the document.
source: people.com
