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The Minneapolis City Council will pay George Floyd’s family $ 27 million (£ 19.4 million) to settle a civil lawsuit for his murder in police custody.
The settlement includes $ 500,000 for the neighborhood where Mr floyd he was arrested, the council said.
Floyd’s family filed the federal civil rights lawsuit against the city last July, along with others against police officer Derek Chauvin and three others who were fired and criminally charged for his death.
The civil dispute is separate from the criminal trial in progress, where the jury is selected and Chauvin is charged with murder in the third and second degree, as well as involuntary manslaughter.
Former police officer Derek Chauvin charged with multiple counts in George Floyd’s death
At a news conference in Minneapolis on Friday, attorney for the Ben Crump family described his death on May 25 of last year as a “watershed moment for America” and the civil ruling as “historic and significant.”
Mr. Crump thanked the mayor and city council for their “responsible leadership” and said “history will judge them” for their actions.
“The George Floyd family and I are very grateful to Mayor Fry and the city council for not only saying that you care about George Floyd, but for showing that you care about George Floyd,” he said.
“They have shown that the life of George Floyd and the lives of blacks matter to them.
He also urged the protesters to remain calm and non-violent as the trial progresses.
Mr. Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee to the back of Mr. Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes, eliciting cries of “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe” from him before he was pronounced dead.
The civil case alleged that Chauvin and the other three officers violated Mr. Floyd’s rights when they immobilized him, and that the city allowed a culture of excessive force, racism and impunity to flourish in its police force.
In the criminal case, prosecutors have succeeded in filing a third degree murder charge, despite attempts to dismiss it.
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Bridgett Floyd speaks outside the courthouse where she had been representing her family.
Third degree murder is less serious than second degree murder and is described as unplanned and unintentional murder, while second degree murder can be intentional or unintentional.
Although second-degree murder would mean more jail time if Chauvin is convicted, legal experts say an additional count of third-degree murder would increase the chances of a murder conviction because the burden of proof is lower.
To win a third degree murder conviction, prosecutors would only have to show that Mr. Floyd’s death was caused by an act that was obviously dangerous, although not necessarily a felony. This would carry a maximum sentence of 25 years.
Chauvin’s trial begins Monday.
