Politicians, civil rights activists and celebrities joined the family to share memories of the man they called a 'gentle giant'.
Pallbearers bring the coffin into the church for the funeral for George Floyd on June 9, 2020, at The Fountain of Praise church in Houston, Texas. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis Police officers on May 25, 2020.HOUSTON - Mourners packed a Houston church to pay tribute to George Floyd at his hometown funeral on Tuesday, the culmination of a long farewell to the 46-year-old African American whose death in custody ignited global protests against police brutality and racism.
Floyd died on May 25 as a white Minneapolis officer pressed a knee into his neck for almost nine minutes, his pleas of"I can't breathe" becoming a rallying cry for protesters. In a day that capped more than two weeks of tension around the country, the theme inside the building was one of peace and hope as family members and friends prepared to take the podium to share their grief, with civil rights leader the Reverend Al Sharpton due to deliver the eulogy.
"There is much to be done, but we want the family to know they are not alone," said local US congressman Al Green as he entered the church.Well-wisher Shiara DeLoach, who turned up at dawn to pay her respects, said"everybody with children and a heart" could feel the pain Floyd's death had caused. Derek Chauvin, the 44-year-old white officer who was filmed pressing his knee on the handcuffed Floyd's neck, faces up to 40 years if convicted on charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.Three other policemen involved in Floyd's arrest are charged with aiding and abetting his murder. All four officers have been fired.
The Democrats have introduced legislation in both chambers of Congress, that they hope will make it easier to prosecute officers for abuse, and rethink how they are recruited and trained.
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