George Floyd 'didn't deserve to die over $20', his brother tells US politicians
Philonise Floyd addressed members of the house judiciary committee a day after his brother was buried in Houston, Texas.
Thursday 11 June 2020 02:29, UK
The brother of George Floyd has said the unarmed black man "didn't deserve to die over $20" as he urged politicians to make sure his death "wasn't in vain".
Philonise Floyd addressed the House Judiciary Committee a day after his brother was buried next to his mother in Houston, Texas.
George Floyd was killed after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds in Minneapolis on 25 May.
He had been arrested after allegedly using a counterfeit $20 note in a shop, and his death sparked anti-racism protests across the US and the world.
The 46-year-old's brother said at the hearing on Wednesday: "I'm tired. I'm tired of the pain I'm feeling now and I'm tired of the pain I feel every time another black person is killed for no reason.
"I'm here today to ask you to make it stop. Stop the pain. Stop us from being tired.
"George's calls for help were ignored. Please listen to the call I'm making to you now to the calls of our family, and to the calls ringing out in the streets across the world."
Mr Floyd was speaking to a committee of 40 members at the hearing in Washington DC which is examining policing and law enforcement accountability.
He continued: "George wasn't hurting anyone that day. He didn't deserve to die over $20. I am asking you, is that what a black man's life is worth? $20? This is 2020. Enough is enough."
Mr Floyd later told the politicians: "It is on you to make sure his death isn't in vain."
He also told the committee members how he had called his brother "Perry" and described him as "gentle giant" who was "mild-mannered".
Politicians are reviewing the Justice in Policing Act, a wide-ranging set of proposals amid a national debate on policing and racial inequality in the US.
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George Floyd was laid to rest on Tuesday after an emotionally-charged funeral service which included passionate speeches from members of his family.
His niece Brooke Williams referred to President Donald Trump's slogan when she told mourners: "Someone said make America great again. When has America ever been great?"
The civil rights leader Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy at the service in Houston, where George Floyd grew up and went to school.
Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder after footage of the arrest was shared widely online.
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