On Friday (July 24), George Floyd’s brother Po joined Toni Preckwinkle to announce a violence prevention funding effort in Chicago.
“Brothers in Chicago,” Po said. “Today, I’m announcing we are putting new and significant dollars into combating gun violence directly on the streets of Chicago. Please stop killing, y’all stop, we need to come together, there’s a bigger picture.”
During the conference, Po explained that he didn’t want his brother’s death to go in vain, adding that there is still work to be done for equality in America. “I don’t want us to go back to our regular routine and forget that people need justice,” he said.
The announcement came after a wrongful death suit was filed against the city of Minneapolis earlier this month. According to NBC News, the complaint addressed the severity of police brutality in America. On May 25, George Floyd died after an ex-cop kneeled on the former’s neck for more than eight minutes.
“It was the knee of the entire Minneapolis Police Department on the neck of George Floyd that killed him,” attorney Benjamin Crump said. “The city of Minneapolis has a history of policies and procedures and deliberate indifference when it comes to the treatment of arrestees, especially Black men, that cries out for training and discipline.”
The lawsuit stated, “As a result of Chauvin, Lane, and Kueng’s unjustified, excessive, and illegal, and deadly use of force, Mr. Floyd experienced conscious pain and suffering. As a result of Chauvin, Lane, and Kueng’s unjustified, excessive, illegal, and deadly use of force, Mr. Floyd died.”
An autopsy report also confirmed that Floyd’s passing was related to asphyxia. “Sustained pressure on the right side of Mr. Floyd’s carotid artery impeded blood flow to the brain, and weight on his back impeded his ability to breathe,” Crump explained. “The independent examiners found that weight on the back, handcuffs and positioning were contributory factors because they impaired the ability of Mr. Floyd’s diaphragm to function.”