On May 25, George Floyd, an unarmed Black man in Minneapolis, was killed at the hands of police brutality. Now, more than 150 officers are seeking disability claims, claiming that they are experiencing PTSD following the incident.
According ABC 7, the officers’ disability claims will take months to go into full effect. Attorney Ron Meuser said that the city received a lack of support amid the social uprisings, calling for racial equality. “Following the George Floyd incident, unfortunately it became too much and as a result they were unable to, and are unable to, continue on and move forward,” Meuser said. “They feel totally and utterly abandoned.”
He continued, “The men and women in public safety who give their heart and soul to serve Minneapolis and keep it safe deserve to have Minneapolis leaders to step up and support them. Instead of spending time plotting the dismantling of the force, let’s come together to improve community trust and work towards a safer city for all.”
Earlier this month, news broke that Tao Thao, the third former cop involved in Floyd’s death, was released from jail after posting bail for $750,000. He joined the list of the two other former cops – Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng – who also paid a hefty price for their freedom until their scheduled court appearance.
Derek Chauvin, the former authority that pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck, remains behind bars with a $1.25 million bail. Earlier this week, Lane’s attorney filed for charges to be dropped against his client. Body cam footage revealed that the former cop asked about whether or not their actions were justifiable in the moment.
“Should we get his legs up, or is this good?” Lane reportedly asked in the video to which Chauvin answered, “Leave him … he’s staying put where we got him.”