MINNEAPOLIS: The family of George Floyd, the Black man who died while being arrested by a white police officer in Minneapolis, has reached a $27 million “wrongful death” settlement.
The lawyers for the family announced the settlement is the “largest pre-trial settlement in a civil rights wrongful death case in US history.”
Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is currently on trial facing murder and manslaughter charges in connection with Floyd’s death, which was captured on video by bystanders and seen around the globe. Three other police officers also face charges.
“George Floyd’s horrific death, witnessed by millions of people around the world, unleashed a deep longing and undeniable demand for justice and change,” said Ben Crump, a Floyd family lawyer.
“That the largest pre-trial settlement in a wrongful death case ever would be for the life of a Black man sends a powerful message that Black lives do matter and police brutality against people of color must end,” Crump said.
The settlement results from a federal lawsuit the Floyd family filed in July against the city of Minneapolis. Floyd’s brother Rodney said the agreement is “a necessary step for all of us to begin to get some closure.”
“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,” he said.
Floyd’s family was “pleased that this part of our tragic journey to justice for my brother George is resolved,” his sister Bridgett Floyd said in a statement. “While our hearts are broken, we are comforted in knowing that even in death, George Floyd showed the world how to live,” she said.
Last year, Floyd’s relatives sued the city, Chauvin and three other police officers involved in federal court, saying police used excessive force against Floyd in violation of his constitutional rights.
“Every American remembers where they were when they first saw it,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of the video showing Floyd’s death. “Today’s settlement reflects our shared commitment to advancing racial justice.”
The settlement includes a $500,000 contribution from Floyd’s family to the community at the Minneapolis intersection where Floyd died, which has been barricaded against police access by residents and is filled with flowers and other tributes to Floyd.
