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On Friday the city of Minneapolis unanimously approved the settlement of $27 million with George Floyd’s family. The City Council approved the settlement in a closed session. Part of the settlement includes a $500,000 contribution from Floyd’s family to the city. It will use the funds for the intersection of 38th and Chicago Avenue. The area became known as George Floyd Square to memorialize his death.
Bridgett Floyd, one of George’s sisters, said in a statement Friday: “On behalf of all of my family members, I am pleased that this part of our tragic journey to justice for my brother George is resolved.”
Last July, Floyd’s family filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis and the four former police officers involved in the killing of Floyd. Particularly, officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck for nearly 9 minutes until he died, as Chauvin’s partners watched. Consequently, the family hired civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump to represent them. Crump has worked on police murder cases across the country, seeking justice for dozens of families. Furthermore, in the lawsuit the attorneys claim that the four former officers violated Floyd’s Fourth Amendment rights with the “excessive use of unjustified, excessive, illegal and deadly force.”
Settlement struck as trial looms
“The city needs to exhibit responsible leadership in the face of the horrific tragedy that really was a watershed moment for America,” Crump said in an interview Friday.
The settlement announcement comes on the same day jury selection continues for the trial of Derek Chauvin. By Friday morning Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill had seated six jurors, five men and one woman. He also reinstated an extra charge of third-degree murder that he rejected last fall. An appellate cour recently granted prosecutors’ request to reinstate the charges.
Meanwhile, the other three officers involved will go to trial later this year in August.