Minneapolis Reaches $27 Million Settlement With George Floyd’s Family

Orlando, FL, USA - JUNE 19, 2020: The murder of George Floyd. Poster about George Floyd during protests in the USA. Rest in power text. BLM. Black Lives Matter — Photo by hannatv/Deposit Photos

The city of Minneapolis on Friday approved a record $27 million settlement with George Floyd’s family following a wrongful death civil lawsuit filed in July.

In a 13-0 vote, the city council unanimously agreed to the settlement, which includes $500,000 “for the benefit of the community” near the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue — the site of Floyd’s death — which has become known as George Floyd Square.

“This is a deeply traumatic event that, unfortunately, is a part of too many Black and Brown families’ realities,” Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins said after the vote. “There is no amount of money that can replace a brother, a son, a nephew, a father, a loved one but what we can do is continue to work towards justice and equity and equality in the city of Minneapolis.”

Related StoryGeorge Floyd Memorial Led by Powerful Tributes

Attorney Ben Crump, who represents Floyd’s family, called the agreement the “largest pre-trial settlement in a civil rights wrongful death case in U.S. history.” Crump added in a statement that the settlement “sends a powerful message that Black lives do matter and police brutality against people of color must end.”

In a news conference later at the Minneapolis Convention Center, Crump was joined by a team of attorneys and local leaders.

“When George Floyd was horrifically killed on May 25, 2020, it was a watershed moment for America,” Crump said at the gathering. “It was one of the most egregious and shocking documentations of an American citizen being tortured to death by a police officer.”

The approval of the settlement comes on the same week jury selection got underway in the criminal trial of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of killing Floyd.

Floyd had been taken into custody for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill at a grocery store. He was handcuffed and lying on his stomach on the ground, when Chauvin — who is White — pressed a knee into his neck for about nine minutes.

Bystander video showed Chauvin refusing to budge as the Black man pleaded that he couldn’t breathe. Floyd’s death led to protests around the globe and a national reckoning on race.