GEORGE FLOYD'S FAMILY GETS $27 MILLION SETTLEMENT FROM MINNEAPOLIS
The family of George Floyd has reached a $27 million settlement in their civil lawsuit with the city of Minneapolis. According to The AP, council members met in private to discuss the settlement. It surpassed the $20 million the city approved two years ago to the family of a white woman killed by a police officer.
The family's attorney Ben Crump said in a statement, “It’s going to be a long journey to justice. This is just one step on the journey to justice. This makes a statement that George Floyd deserved better than what we witnessed on May 25, 2020, that George Floyd’s life mattered, and that by extension, Black lives matter.” Floyd's sibling Philonise Floyd added, “Even though my brother is not here, he’s here with me in my heart. If I could get him back, I would give all this back." (The Associated Press)
BREONNA TAYLOR'S MOTHER TAMIKA PALMER FILES INTERNAL AFFAIRS COMPLAINTS AGAINST SIX LMPD OFFICERS
On the one year anniversary of Breonna Taylor's death, her mom Tamika Palmer filed an internal affairs complaints against six officers with the Professional Standards Unit of the Louisville Metro Police Department. As previously reported, officer Brett Hankison was indicted for "wanton endangerment" for firing into a neighboring apartment, but not directly for Breonna's death.
Attorney Sam Aguiar told CNN, "These internal affairs complaints were filed to get answers, explanations, and accountability. We believe a thorough investigation of these allegations will expose the rotten underbelly of a rogue police division and the lengths that investigators went to protect the officers."
He continued, "And when it does, LMPD needs to show that it will clean house, get Tamika Palmer the answers she’s been owed for a year and honor the oaths sworn to protect our citizens. These officers can’t be allowed to lie and say it’s alright because they’re police. They can’t be allowed to cover up their actions and not explain it, just because they’re police.”
In the complaints, Palmer alleged that the officers’ behavior was “unacceptable, intolerable and contributing factors to Breonna’s death and the deficient investigation thereafter.” Palmer also alleged that the actions of the two other officers were “unbecoming of a ranking officer on scene.” The LMPD has acknowledged the complaints and they’re pledging to be “transparent.”
Meanwhile, on the first anniversary of Breonna's death, protests erupted in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, her hometown of Louisville, Kentucky and more. (Bossip)
BREONNA TAYLOR'S BOYFRIEND FILES FEDERAL SUIT AGAINST LOUISVILLE PD
In other news, Breonna's boyfriend Kenneth Walker has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the LPD of excessive force and unlawful search in her death. According to The Courier Journal, Walker filed the suit in the US District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on Friday (March 11th).
Walker — who also has a pending state lawsuit over Breonna's death, has claimed in the new lawsuit that the Louisville police bear “direct responsibility” over Taylor’s death. In the lawsuit, Walker said that the department’s practice of executing warrants “in the middle of the night,” along with inadequate training, creates a dangerous climate. (New York Post)