Brother calls on Congress to act
The brother of George Floyd fought back tears as he begged Congress to ‘‘stop the pain’’ and not let his death be in vain.
In impassioned testimony, Philonise Floyd described the anguish of seeing the video of his elder brother dying as white police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Meanwhile, it emerged Floyd and Chauvin knew each other while both worked as security guards at the same nightclub, and they had ‘‘bumped heads’’, according to a former colleague.
Philonise Floyd, 42, appeared before the House Judiciary Committee which is examining issues of racial injustice and police brutality following weeks of civil unrest across America.
In an emotional address, he said: ‘‘I’m here to ask you to make it stop. Stop the pain. Stop us from being tired. I can’t tell you the kind of pain you feel when you watch your big brother, who you looked up to your whole entire life, die; die begging for his mom.’’
Referring to his brother’s alleged effort to use a counterfeit bill before his arrest, he said: ‘‘George wasn’t hurting anyone that day. He didn’t deserve to die over $20. I’m asking you, is that what a black man’s worth? $20? This is 2020. Enough is enough.’’
Floyd added: ‘‘Maybe by speaking with you today, I can make sure that his death will not be in vain.’’
Jerry Nadler, the Democrat committee chairman, said: ‘‘If there is one thing I have taken away from the tragic events of the last month, it is that the nation demands and deserves meaningful change.’’
Jim Jordan, the top Republican on the committee, told Floyd: ‘‘It’s as wrong as wrong can be, and your brother’s killers will face justice.’’
Chauvin, 44, has been charged with murder over the death of Floyd, 46, in Minneapolis on May 25. A former co-worker of both men at a nightclub in the city claimed they knew each other ‘‘pretty well’’. David Pinney told CBS News: ‘‘They bumped heads.’’ -The Daily Telegraph