SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) — George Floyd would have been 47 years old today.
Instead, his name bring backs painful memories of his death in police custody.
On May 25, a convenience store employee called 911 and told police that Floyd used a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes.
Moments later, three Minneapolis police officers pinned Floyd to the ground. One officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck, taking away his final breaths.
The tragic death was all caught on camera and later captured the world’s attention. Large protests were held in more than 150 U.S. cities in the weeks and months that followed.
Minneapolis businesses were lit on fire, stores were vandalized — people were angry.
Some demonstrators even gathered at Chauvin’s house, according to reports.
In total, a five-mile stretch of Minneapolis sustained extreme damage — the most a U.S. city has suffered from riots since the 1992 unrest in Los Angeles.
Protests extended across the country, and even across the world.
The Bay Area saw several days of protests in San Francisco, South San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and other cities.
One day after Floyd’s death, all four officers involved were fired.
In June, Derek Chauvin, the officer who pinned his knee on Floyd’s neck, was charged with third-degree and second-degree manslaughter charges.
Chauvin left his knee on Floyd’s neck for at least eight minutes and 15 seconds, according to videos. He didn’t remove his knee even after Floyd lost consciousness nor after paramedics arrived to the scene.
Prosecutors also charged the other three former officers — Thomas Lae, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao — with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
The trail is scheduled for March 8, 2021.
Chauvin posted $1 million bond on Oct. 7 and was released from the state jail where he was awaiting trial.
Now, 142 days later and on what would’ve been his 47th birthday, George Floyd’s death gives Americans a chance to reflect.
The fight against police brutality and systemic racism continues.