A trustee for the family of George Floyd, a Black man who died on May 25 after a Minneapolis policeman knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, sued the city and four police officers in federal court on Wednesday, seeking monetary damages.
The lawsuit was filed at U.S. District Court in Minneapolis by Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney who has represented other families in high-profile police killings of Black men, and co-counsel Antonio Romanucci.
Crump, speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, described it as a "wrongful death, civil rights lawsuit."
Floyd's death triggered nationwide street protests against police brutality and renewed the American debate about racism in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic - just months away from the Nov. 3 presidential election.
The suit names as defendants the city of Minneapolis and four officers who participated in his arrest on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 at a grocery store. It seeks money for compensatory, special, and punitive damages from the officers and compensatory and special damages from the city.
Derek Chauvin, a white police officer who knelt on Floyd while he was handcuffed, was arrested four days after his death. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and manslaughter charges.
Three other officers who were at the scene, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, have been charged with aiding and abetting in the case.
Floyd, 46, pleaded for his life, telling police he could not breathe.
His death, on the heels of several other high-profile police killings of African Americans, led to protests across the United States and globally, with the Black Lives Matter group demanding a revamping of law enforcement.
The U.S. Congress failed last month to agree on legislation designed to bring about changes in policing.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Trump Vice President Pick JD Vance Urges Voters To "Choose A New Path" "Meat, Potatoes" Guy Who Cooks Indian Food: JD Vance's Wife Describes Him Joe Biden's Covid Case Delivers Latest Blow to Hard-Luck Campaign Why BJP Lost Lok Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh - 6 Reasons In Party Report Travel Influencer Aanvi Kamdar Dies After Falling Off A Waterfall Near Mumbai Amid Huge Row, Karnataka Pauses Bill For Reservation In Private Sector Firms "Unjustified": Russia On India Facing "Enormous Pressure" Due To Energy Ties Man Receives Worm-Infested Amul Buttermilk, Company Apologises Meta Decides To Suspend Its Generative AI Tools in Brazil Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.