The city of Minneapolis has reached the biggest pre-trial settlement in a civil rights wrongful death case in history as the city council voted unanimously to approve a $27 million civil settlement with George Floyd’s family. Buzzfeed writes:
As part of the settlement agreement, $500,000 is to be used “for the benefit of the community” around 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, the site of Floyd’s death that has now become widely known as George Floyd Square.
“No amount of money can ever address the intense pain or trauma caused by his death to George Floyd’s family or to the people of our city,” City Council president Lisa Bender said after the vote. “Minneapolis has been fundamentally changed by this time of racial reckoning.”
Minneapolis Mayor James Frey wrote, “The past year has dramatically shifted our city’s trajectory, and today marks another milestone in shaping a more just future for Minneapolis. Our settlement with George Floyd’s family reflects a shared commitment to advancing racial justice and a sustained push for progress.”
Attorney Ben Crump after Minneapolis reached a settlement with the family of George Floyd: “The settlement is not just historic because of the $27 million paid out, but for the impact on social justice, policy reforms and police reforms." https://t.co/99S8XYIwNr pic.twitter.com/wOENVVXnEd
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 12, 2021
This coincides with day four of jury selection in the trial of the former police officer charged in Floyd’s death. Six jurors have already been selected in the trial of ex-officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter, as well as a recently-added third-degree murder charge. He was the officer caught on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes last May, as the handcuffed Floyd said, “I can’t breathe.” More from USA Today:
So far, five of the six jurors selected are men. Three of the jurors identify as white, one as multiracial, one as Hispanic and one as Black, according Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill, who is presiding over the case. All are in their 20s or 30s, according to court records.