Family, friends, and loved ones bid farewell to George Perry Floyd with three memorial services. The first memorial service took place on June 4 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the town that the Houston, Texas native called home at the time of his death on May 25, 2020. George died while being arrested by four officers – Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J. Alexander Keung. The video of the arrest, capturing Officer Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck in the last seconds of the black man’s life, went viral and triggered massive protests across the United States.
During the first service, taking place at the Frank J. Lindquist Sanctuary at North Central University, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Grey approached the casket containing George’s body. The leader broke down crying. The service also featured civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, Martin Luther King III, and actor Kevin Hart. Rev. Al Sharpton was tasked with delivering the eulogy during this first service.
