Minneapolis to Pay $27 Million in Settlement with George Floyd's Family

Chelsey Sanchez
·7-min read
Photo credit: Francesco Prandoni - Getty Images
Photo credit: Francesco Prandoni - Getty Images

From Harper's BAZAAR

Update 3/12/21:

Today, the city of Minneapolis reached a $27 million settlement with George Floyd's family weeks before the trial of the former officer involved in his murder is set to begin.

The City Council unanimously approved the settlement, which includes $500,000 for the south Minneapolis neighborhood at the intersection of 38th and Chicago Avenue, which has since been renamed George Floyd Square.

Benjamin Crump, Floyd's family attorney, said on Twitter that it is "the largest pre-trial settlement in a civil rights wrongful death case in U.S. history."

In a statement, per CBS, Floyd's sister Bridgett Floyd said, "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."

Derek Chauvin, one of the officers involved in Floyd's death last May, will go to trial in a few weeks, facing charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter, and third-degree murder.

Original Story 5/28/20:

On Monday evening in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a grocery store clerk called the police about a customer using a suspected counterfeit bill. When officers arrived, they found George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, in his car and ordered him out. A bystander filmed the ensuing confrontation, which ended with Floyd's face pinned against the ground near the rear of the police car with Officer Derek Chauvin's knee pressed firmly against his neck. "I can't breathe, officer," Floyd said, as bystanders off camera yelled at the officer to let him go. When the officer finally removed his knee, Floyd was unresponsive. He was then transferred to a medical center where he was pronounced dead.

Many see the horrific incident as the latest bout of casually fatal police brutality against Black people in the United States—especially as Floyd's words on camera echo those of Eric Garner, another Black man who was killed in a police chokehold. Floyd's death also follows the recent high-profile deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man shot and killed while he was jogging, and Breonna Taylor, a Black EMT gunned down by the police in her own home.

While the four police officers (Chauvin, Tao Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng) involved in Floyd's killing have since been fired, the fight for justice continues. Ongoing demonstrations in Minneapolis and other cities like Los Angeles have intensified as protestors stand off against police.

Photo credit: Stephen Maturen - Getty Images
Photo credit: Stephen Maturen - Getty Images

If you're looking for ways to demand justice over Floyd's killing, below is a list of resources.

Donate

  • Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd, has started a GoFundMe to assist his family in their time of grief and need. Donate Here

Austin, Texas

  • This fundraiser plans to post bail for protestors arrested in Austin. Their current goal is $20,000. Donate Here

  • 400+1 is an Austin-based organization that is currently using funds to support the legal needs of those on the ground. Donate Here

Atlanta, Georgia

Baltimore, Maryland

Charlotte, North Carolina

Chicago, Illinois

Cleveland, Ohio

  • The Columbus Freedom Fund is currently posting bail for arrested protesters. Donate Here

Dallas, Texas

  • Faith in Texas is overseeing the Luke 4:18 Bail Fund, which uses funds to support bailouts in collaboration with local faith communities, formerly incarcerated people, and families affected by the justice system. Donate Here

Detroit, Michigan

Florida

Hawaii

Houston, Texas

  • In partnership with The Bail Project and Pure Justice, the Restoring Justice organization is coordinating donations to post bail for protesters. Donate Here

Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • The Minnesota Freedom Fund, a grassroots organization currently working with the National Lawyers Guild and the Legal Rights Center, will use donations to bail out arrested protesters and to supply those on the field. As of right now, this organization is no longer requesting donations after exceeding its target amount.

  • Reclaim the Block, a grassroots organization based in Minneapolis, will use funds to address community needs. Donate Here

  • Black Visions Collective, which is based in Minnesota, focuses its work on transformative justice in the state. Donate Here

  • North Star Health Collective is a group of street medics, radical health organizers, and community health trainers based in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and will use funds for gear and medical supplies on the field. Donate Here

Las Vegas, Nevada

Los Angeles, California

  • This GoFundMe is raising money for legal support and bail fees for protesters, medical bills and transportation costs for injured protesters, medical supplies for on-the-ground medics, monetary support for Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, and more. Donate Here

Louisville, Kentucky

  • Organizers in Louisville, Kentucky–the city that Breonna Taylor lived in–have created a community bail fund for protestors. Donate Here

Massachusetts

National

New York City, New York

  • Free Them All for Public Health is using donations to bail out protesters. As of right now, it is no longer requesting donations after exceeding its target.

  • The Brooklyn Community Bail Fund will use donations to pay bail for demonstrators. After exceeding its target amount, it is currently asking for donations to be poured in elsewhere.

  • The Trans Emergency Release Fund will use funds to bail out those within the LGBTQ+ community. Donate Here

  • COVID Bail Out NYC posts bail for medically vulnerable individuals. After exceeding its target amount, it is requesting for donations to be given elsewhere.

Oakland, California

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Phoenix, Arizona

  • A GoFundMe has been created for the family of Dion Johnson, a 28-year-old Black man shot and killed by a police officer while sleeping in his car this past Memorial Day. Donate Here

  • Various local organizations are coordinating the Black People's Justice Fund to assist with bail fees. Donate Here

Tallahassee, Florida

Wilmington, Delaware

Split Your Donations Between Multiple Bail Funds

Through this site, you can split your donation between 38 community bail funds, covering cities including Chicago, Philadelphia, Memphis, Louisville, and more. Donate Here

Contact Minneapolis Representatives

  • Contact Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to demand justice. You can also call his office at 612-673-2100. Reach Out Here

  • Demand County Attorney Mike Freeman charge the officers with murder by calling him at 612-348-5550.

Sign Petitions

Color of Change's petition demands that Frey block the involved officers from receiving their pensions and ban them from being able to become police officers again, as well as demands that Freeman charge the officers with murder.

You can also text "FLOYD" to 55156 to sign the petition.

Sign the Petition Here

Another petition posted on Change.org is also trying to get the attention of Frey and Freeman. It currently has more than two million signatures and is aiming for at least three million.

Sign the Petition Here

Be Wary of What You Share Online

As the fight for justice carries on, grassroots activists are asking that supporters stay mindful of what they're posting online to avoid sharing unnecessarily graphic imagery or photos/videos of protestors' faces.

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