The Minneapolis City Council on Friday unanimously signed off on a $27 million settlement in a civil lawsuit brought by George Floyd’s family.
The settlement, which was approved 13-0, is the largest in Minneapolis police history. About $500,000 will go to the community around the intersection where Floyd died.
“It’s not just enough for America to say that George Floyd’s life matters. We have to show that George Floyd matters by our actions,” Benjamin Crump, an attorney representing Floyd’s family members, said during an afternoon press conference.
Crump called Floyd’s death a “watershed moment” and applauded the City Council’s move.
He added that the record settlement shows “we can reach an agreement about what form justice might take, not wait for it to be determined only by a [historically] discriminatory criminal justice system.”
The announcement came in the middle of jury selection for Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, as well as third-degree murder, in Floyd’s death.
DEATH AND ‘AUTONOMOUS ZONE’ GRIP GEORGE FLOYD SQUARE AHEAD OF CHAUVIN TRIAL
On May 25, Floyd died after Chauvin pressed his knee against his neck for around nine minutes. His death sparked nationwide protests and led to a reckoning on race in the United States.
Floyd’s family filed a federal lawsuit in July against the city and the four officers involved in the arrest that led to his death. The lawsuit took issue with the neck restraints used on Floyd, as well as the police department’s policies and training.
The city has already modified its use of force policies, tightened requirements for body cameras, and created new policies on deescalation and disengagement.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the $27 million settlement “reflects a shared commitment to advancing racial justice and a sustained push for progress.”
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Previously, the largest police settlement in Minneapolis history was $20 million, paid to the family of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, who was shot and killed by former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor in 2017. Noor was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison.
