Events mark anniversary of George Floyd's death
George Floyd died in front of a Minneapolis Cup Foods on May 25, 2020.
Activists are continuing their quest for police reform and social and racial justice on the one-year anniversary of George Floyd's death.
Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020, by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin after he was accused of using a counterfeit $20 bill at a Cup Foods.
His death sparked nationwide protests that persisted in major cities for much of the summer, despite a raging pandemic.
Floyd's family is set to meet with President Joe Biden Tuesday and other prominent lawmakers to push for the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which aims to address "a wide range of policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability."
Latest headlines:
- Crump vows to return to DC every week with Floyd family
- Darnella Frazier, witness who filmed George Floyd's arrest, reflects on anniversary
- President Biden issues statement about meeting with Floyd family
- Floyd's family meets with President Joe Biden, lawmakers on Capitol Hill
- Shots fired near George Floyd square
Black communities have been 'gaslit' for 100 years: Minnesota AG
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison released a statement Tuesday stating that black people have been dying at the hands of police for the past century and the time for "meaningful change" is now.
"African American communities have been gaslit by people in authority for 100 years: they have been repeatedly told that state-sanctioned violence in their communities is their fault and that they are the criminals, not the ones committing the crimes against them," Ellison said. "But this time, the witnesses to George Floyd’s death and everyone in the world who watched their videos refused to be gaslit. They believed their eyes."
Ellison called on legislators on every level to break the cycle and for Americans of all backgrounds to end racism and white supremacy once and for all.
"For a century, and despite the best efforts of many, America has chosen inaction over climbing this mountain," Ellison said. "But the other side of this mountain is better — not only for African Americans, but for everyone."
-ABC News’ Whitney Lloyd
Shots fired near George Floyd square
Shots were fired roughly one block away from what is informally known as George Floyd square, according to officials. A city spokesperson told ABC affiliate KSTP-TV in Minneapolis that one person was being treated for a gunshot wound at a local hospital.
Philip Crowther, an Associated Press journalist, reported hearing as many as 30 gunshots about a block east of the intersection. He said a storefront window appeared to have been broken by a gunshot.
“Very quickly things got back to normal,” Crowther said.
The intersection is now a memorial to Floyd and a street festival was planned later Tuesday to mark the anniversary, the AP reported.
Court to hear arguments on need for a public inquiry in Eric Garner's 2014 death
On the anniversary of Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis, a New York appellate court will hear arguments on the need for a public inquiry into the 2014 death of Eric Garner, whose dying words "I can’t breathe," the same as Floyd’s, became a national rallying cry.
A lower court allowed for a judicial inquiry beginning in July, siding with the Racial Justice Project at New York Law School, which said the Garner family has endured "nearly seven years of false promises about transparency" from top city officials.
"It is difficult to conceive of a matter more worthy of transparency: a police killing of an unarmed civilian, preceded by a questionable stop, followed by inadequate medical treatment," the Racial Justice Project said in a filing to the Appellate Division.
The City of New York conceded Garner’s death “is of singular importance to his family, his community, the City, and indeed the nation” but is appealing to stop the inquiry because the incident has already been well-documented.
"There has already been a public trial covering seven days, 15 witnesses, and a thousand transcript pages," the city noted.
-ABC News’ Aaron Katersky
Floyd’s family announces fund for neighborhood where he was killed
A fund has been created by Floyd’s family to benefit the predominately black community of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, near the Cup Foods where Floyd was killed.
The fund will award grants to eligible businesses, community organizations and 501(c)(3) organizations serving the community.
"His family has been touched by the strength, the spirit, and the need in that community," Benjamin Crump, the family's attorney, said in a statement.
Floyd’s family will direct $500,000 of the $27 million settlement they received from the city of Minneapolis to the fund.
-ABC News’ Sabina Ghebremedhin