- The Washington Times - Wednesday, July 15, 2020

The family of George Floyd announced the filing Wednesday of a federal lawsuit against Minneapolis and the four officers charged in his death, alleging that the city permitted a culture of racism and excessive force within the police department.

Filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota, the lawsuit said that the officers violated Mr. Floyd’s rights during the May 25 arrest in which White Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on the 46-year-old Black man’s neck for nearly nine minutes.

“Why would they treat a human being like that in 2020?” asked Floyd family attorney Benjamin Crump, calling police brutality “a public health crisis,” at a press conference.

All four officers were fired and face criminal charges. Mr. Floyd’s death spurred mass Black Lives Matter protests over police brutality as well as rioting in Minneapolis and dozens of other U.S. cities.

• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.

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