The city of Minneapolis on Friday agreed to pay $27 million to settle a civil lawsuit from George Floyd’s family over the Black man’s death in police custody, as jury selection continued in a former officer’s murder trial.
The gruesome murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department has sparked a necessary public uprising against the systematic racism that has plagued the U.S. since even prior to its inception. Century-long questions of race and color have been brought to the forefront of social and news media. Globally, people have started to reflect on the cause and effect of racism within their own communities. One of the many effects of racism has been the development of colorism. Colorism is defined as prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group. Colorism has significant roots in Asian, Latino, and South Asian societies.
The legislation, AB 1196, bans law enforcement officers in the state from using carotid artery restraints to subdue and detain suspects. The chokehold — commonly called the “sleeper hold” among wrestling fans — is supposed to render victims unconscious, but it has proven to be deadly.
Two Minneapolis police officers who shot and killed a black man last month were justified in using deadly force, a prosecutor announced Monday, saying the man was fleeing police and turned toward them with a loaded gun before he was shot.