George Floyd
The evidence in this video is distressing and may be hard to watch.
The killing of George Floyd may be one of the most publicized acts of police brutality yet. In May of 2020, George stopped at a convenience store to buy cigarettes. Shortly after, the Minneapolis Police were called on suspicion of George using a counterfeit $20 bill. From there, the situation escalated quickly. Officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, with Floyd consistently shouting "I can't breathe". The three other officers on the scene did nothing to stop Chauvin, and ultimately contributed to Floyd's death.
In a world already dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and the backlash from mandates in place, the murder of George Floyd brought worldwide protests demanding change and accountability. The death of George Floyd also shed a light on the division between people, those for police, and those against police, which further caused violence, both physical and verbal.
After video evidence was made public, all four officers involved in Floyd's murder were fired. All four officers have had charges brought against them for the murder of George Floyd and for violating his federal civil rights.
In fact, in June of 2020, Derek Chauvin was found guilty and sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for his role in the murder of George Floyd. The other three officers, Alexander Keung, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao are scheduled to be tried on charges in March of 2022. The sentencing of Derek Chauvin was long overdue justice for both those fighting for change and George's family.
