The African-American family George Floyd , who died two weeks ago at the hands of the police of Minneapolis, He again demanded justice this Tuesday during his funeral in Houston , in the State of Texas, where Floyd grew up.
His niece, Brooke Williams, insisted in a short speech “while I breathe, there will be justice” and, in a clear nod to President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, he wondered if “Were the United States great?”
“Please, no more hate crimes,” he said. before regretting that none of the four officers who were on the scene at the time of Floyd’s death showed “soul or heart”.
“ None of the officers showed remorse for watching the soul of my uncle leave his body. He begged and begged for his life many times, but you tightened even more, “he said of the agent who stepped on his knees, Derek Chauvin, now charged with second degree murder ”. Why does it have to be the system so corrupt? “, he insisted.
“Someone said, ‘ Make America even more beautiful O’, but has the United States ever been great? “Williams riveted the church of La Fuente de la Alabanza and during a service that is broadcast in real time, according to information from CNN television.
Police Reforms:
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who also attended the funeral, said he would issue a decree to ban the use of throttling during police arrests and proclaimed that June 9 will be officially George Perry Floyd Day .
The mayor, who has promised that further reforms to the police protocol will be made, said “a de-escalation will take place in the city of Houston”. “ In this city you have to warn before shooting, there is an obligation to intervene, you will have to do exhaustive reporting . In this city, all possible routes must be exhausted before opening fire, “he stressed.
In this regard, he expressed gratitude to the Floyd family for “seeking justice” and called on protesters who took to the streets in various parts of the country to demonstrate peacefully. “I want to thank you on behalf of this city for demanding justice from George when you ask the world to do it respectfully and peacefully “ He said before saying that in Houston ”Floyd will be honored not because he was perfect but because when he breathed the last time, he made us all breathe for the first time. “
Local police chief Art Acevedo called for new laws and standards on police response at the national level. For him, the current problem is based on the “human condition”. “We have 18,000 police services with 18,000 ways of doing things and 18,000 different policies, and it is time for the country to realize this and for Congress to act,” he said. “In terms of the use of force, we need standards at the national level, as well as in training,” he added.
Acevedo also noted Floyd’s death from a “criminal act” which is not “what is expected of modern security forces in the 21st century”. “There are still too many incidents where bad policies are tolerated when we have to say no,” he said.