Public Memorial Held in Minneapolis for George Floyd the Day After ALL FOUR Police Charged with His
The city of Minneapolis took a pause today to publicly remember the life of George Floyd. Floyd was killed on Memorial Day after being held down by several police officers while one, Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck.
Chauvin was originally charged with third degree murder and manslaughter after an autopsy done in Minneapolis showed that he didn't die from asphyxia but of natural causes. Floyd's family had an independent autopsy conducted after they received his body late last week and that medical examiner had a totally different cause.
Floyd's cause of death was determined to be murder caused by asphyxiation due to compression. That determination upgraded the charges against Chauvin, who had already been arrested, from third degree to second degree murder. The other officers who were present, and participated in Floyd's murder, were also arrested and charged following the new determination.
This is almost completely unheard of in today's climate but, domino effect didn't stop there. The video of Floyd's murder went viral on social media and ignited an uprising among U.S. citizens and people all across the globe. Protests were held in solidarity in New Zealand, Italy and Paris, France. This was one death that no one could deny was an act of murder.
No one who saw that video, or saw a photo of it, could possibly sleep peacefully afterwards. Not if they had a heart.
Today, protesters, activists and all of those who would paused for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. The length of time that Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd until the life slipped from his body. The world mourns his death collectively but, the city that started it all honored him with it's own memorial and celebration of life.
Take a look.
Floyd's autopsy also confirmed that he was recovering from COVID-19. He originally tested positive back in April and his autopsy showed that he hadn't fully recovered BUT. . .
Via CNN:
". . .the virus played no known role in his death and he was likely not contagious, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office said in its final report Wednesday.
"Since ... positivity for (Covid-19) can persist for weeks after the onset and resolution of clinical disease, the autopsy result most likely reflects asymptomatic but persistent ... positivity from previous infection," it said.
Floyd survived a pandemic that has killed more African Americans in the United States than whites or other ethnic groups.
Black Americans represent 13.4% of the American population, according to the US Census Bureau. But counties with higher black populations account for more than half of all coronavirus cases and almost 60% of deaths, a study found."
It's a complete disgrace that George Floyd survived a global health pandemic only to be murdered by an American racial pandemic.
