George Floyd's Family Files Lawsuit Against Officers and Minneapolis

Members of George Floyd’s family filed a lawsuit in federal court Wednesday against the city of Minneapolis and the four police officers involved in his in-custody death in May. 

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, alleges that the officers violated Floyd’s constitutional rights. It claims that the city “caused officers [to] act with impunity and without fear of retribution” and failed to properly train police.

The family is seeking unspecified financial damages in addition to the appointment of a “receiver or similar authority” to ensure that the city “properly trains and supervises its police officers,” CNBC reports.

Video of Floyd’s Memorial Day arrest shows former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on Floyd’s neck while Floyd, who was Black, cries out that he cannot breathe. According to charging documents, Chauvin held his knee on Floyd’s neck for about eight minutes.

Floyd’s death while in police custody sparked weeks of protests and riots against police violence around the globe.