George Floyd’s Family Will Receive $27 Million Settlement From Minneapolis

On Friday, Minneapolis agreed to pay a $27 million settlement in a civil lawsuit filed against the city by George Floyd’s family over his death.

This is a photo of George Floyd.
Getty

Image via Getty/Stephanie Keith

This is a photo of George Floyd.

On Friday, Minneapolis agreed to pay a $27 million settlement in a civil lawsuit filed against the city by George Floyd’s family over his death.

Associated Press reports that the settlement includes $500,000 for the neighborhood in which Floyd’s fatal arrest took place. The settlement was announced by the Floyd family attorney Ben Crump, who has also represented the family of Breonna Taylor among other victims of police brutality. “George Floyd’s horrific death, witnessed by millions of people around the world, unleashed a deep longing and undeniable demand for justice and change," Crump said in a statement.

He added the settlement “sends a powerful message that Black lives do matter and police brutality against people of color must end.” Crump called the settlement the largest pre-trial settlement in a wrongful death case ever. 

"The past year has dramatically shifted our city’s trajectory, and today marks another milestone in shaping a more just future for Minneapolis," wrote Minneapolis mayor Jacob Fray on Twitter. "Our settlement with George Floyd’s family reflects a shared commitment to advancing racial justice and a sustained push for progress." 

Council President Lisa Bender said, "I hope that today will center the voices of the family and anything that they would like to share." She offered her condolences to the family of Floyd, on behalf of the entire City Council.

The civil rights lawsuit was first filed against the city and four police officers charged in his death in July 2020. The city of Minneapolis made a similiar settlement of $20 million to the family of Justine Ruszczyk Damond in 2019 after she was shot by an officer she called to report a crime.

George Floyd died on May 25, 2020 after now-former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes. The video of the incident sparked outrage, with countless protests in response to racial injustice and police brutality taking place in cities across the world.

Chauvin is facing charges of second-degree unintentional murder, second-degree manslaughter, and third-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty, with his trial set to go ahead on March 29. If convicted for second-degree murder he could face 25 years in prison, or 40 years if found guilty of second-degree murder.

It was reported recently that the murder trial for Chauvin will be televised on Court TV, while Peacock’s Law & Crime will stream it online. 

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