George Floyd family sues US police officers
July 16, 2020 00:14
George Floyd's family filed a lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis and the four police officers charged in his death, alleging the officers violated Floyd's rights when they restrained him and that the city allowed a culture of excessive force, racism and impunity to flourish in its police force.
"This complaint shows what we have said all along, that Mr Floyd died because the weight of the entire Minneapolis Police Department was on his neck, attorney Ben Crump, who was representing the Floyd family, said in a statement.
"The City of Minneapolis has a history of policies, procedures and deliberate indifference that violates the rights of arrestees, particularly Black men, and highlights the need for officer training and discipline."
Floyd, a Black man who was handcuffed, died May 25 after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, pressed his knee against Floyd's neck for nearly eight minutes as Floyd said he couldn't breathe. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Three other officers at the scene -- Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J Kueng -- are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter.
All four officers were fired the day after Floyd's death, which set off protests that spread around the world and turned into a national reckoning on race in America.
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