Death of George Floyd: Tributes, rallies in NYC one year later
NEW YORK - One year ago Tuesday, George Floyd died in police custody. News of his death sparked nationwide outrage and started a larger conversation about police reform.
Over the weekend in Brooklyn, Floyd's brother, Terrence Floyd, described the last year as a roller coaster ride and expressed his thanks to all those who showed their support.
In the year since his brother's death, an officer was brought to justice but justice continues to elude so many others.
George Floyd's killing caused outrage and protests around the country including in New York City. On this day, the city remembered his life and death again.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rev Al Sharpton, and others gathered at the National Action Network headquarters in Harlem to kneel for 9 minutes and 29 seconds, the same amount of time former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd's neck.
Last month, the jury found Chauvin guilty of three counts and he will be sentenced June 25. Three other former police officers who were at the scene will be tried together in March.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met privately with members of Floyd's family at the White House on Tuesday. Biden had set Tuesday as the deadline for getting the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed. Among other things, the legislation would ban chokeholds and end qualified immunity for officers against civil lawsuits.
The House passed the bill in March but it remains stalled in the Senate.
Calls for reforms of police departments continue one year after his death. Protesters marched from Barclays Center in Brooklyn to call on the mayor and City Council to defund the NYPD and redirect money to communities of color.
All eight major Democratic candidates for mayor were expected to be questioned about civil rights and social justice at the National Action Network. Defunding police become a huge campaign issue especially in light of troubling crime numbers in the city.