George Floyd's Family To Be Paid $27 Million As Settlement In Civil Lawsuit

The family of the late George Floyd has reached a settlement agreement of $27 million with the city of Minneapolis on Friday in the wrongful death lawsuit.

The development comes amid the ongoing jury selection in the murder trial of former officer Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee on Floyd's neck, leading to his death.

The settlement was announced by the Minneapolis City Council after a closed-door session on Friday, March 12, with the Floyd family attorney Ben Crump calling for a news conference that included the family members.

George Floyd's family members during his funeral

Speaking on the settlement, Crump said it was the largest pretrial civil rights settlement ever and that it "sends a powerful message that Black lives do matter and police brutality against people of our colour must end."

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Council President Lisa Bender added, "I hope that today will center the voices of the family and anything that they would like to share. But I do want to, on behalf of the entire City Council, offer my deepest condolences to the family of George Floyd, his friends, and all of our community who are mourning his loss."

The civil rights lawsuit was filed in July 2020 by the Floyd family, and Chauvin and three other officers were charged for his death.

The late George Floyd and his daughter

The lawsuit alleged that the officers violated Floyd's rights in the process of restraining him and that the culture of excessive force was allowed by the city to flourish, along with racism and impunity.