More than two dozen of George Floyd’s family members have converged in Minneapolis to watch the murder trial of the former police officer charged in his death and they’re bracing themselves for the difficult testimony and images expected to come later this week when his cause of death and autopsy are examined.
“We pray a lot and we talk about different things that we might see in court,” said his brother, Philonise Floyd. “So we know that autopsies are getting ready to show, so we’re prepping each other.”
Philonise Floyd, his wife Keeta Floyd and the family’s attorney, Benjamin Crump, sat down for an interview Tuesday evening amid the second week of testimony in Derek Chauvin’s trial.
They discussed the emotional toll of rewatching Floyd die pinned under Chauvin’s knee in a bystander’s video that has been played several times in court. They expressed confidence in the prosecution’s case, and they rejected any interest in the state negotiating a plea deal with Chauvin.
“The family wants him to be held accountable in the court of law to the full extent,” Crump said, adding that he is not aware of any plea negotiations between the prosecution and Chauvin. “This case of Derek Chauvin regarding the killing of George Floyd is exactly like Philonise said — America’s on trial. Is it just rhetoric, or, do we really live by what we project to the world — liberty and justice and equality … for all?”
Philonise and Keeta Floyd and other family members have taken turns sitting in the one seat reserved in the courtroom for Floyd’s relatives. Social-distancing protocols have limited the number of people who can attend. Relatives also watch the trial on a live feed broadcast to another room in the courthouse.
They said the family is committed to showing up every day regardless of the trauma they must bear.
“Every time you go into the courtroom you see your brother passing away over and over again,” Philonise Floyd said. “It’s like déjà vu. You see the same thing. It’s a lot of pain, a lot of agony. I’m sitting there and I just — you know, I can’t save him. You constantly see him scream … I teared up lots of times.” Full report here.
