George Floyd’s family will receive a $27 million settlement from the city of Minneapolis as part of a lawsuit over Floyd’s death at the hands of police.
On Friday, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously voted to approve the settlement, which is the highest settlement the city has ever paid.
“George Floyd’s horrific death, witnessed by millions of people around the world, unleashed a deep longing and undeniable demand for justice and change,” Ben Crump, the lead attorney for the family, said in a statement. “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.”
As part of the settlement, $500,000 will be used to benefit the 38th Street and Chicago Avenue business district — an area now known as George Floyd Square — where Floyd died.
“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. “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.”
The settlement comes as a separate criminal trial is underway for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who is charged with second- and third-degree murder and manslaughter. As of Friday morning, six of the 12 jurors have been selected for the trial. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty.
The three other officers involved in Floyd’s death — Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng — are expected to go to trial in August. They are charged with aiding and abetting, second-degree murder and manslaughter.
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