Donald Williams, one of the devastated bystanders who witnessed George Floyd beg for his life, is suing the City of Minneapolis.
On May 16, the professional mixed martial arts fighter filed a lawsuit in Hennepin County District Court, with allegations citing assault and emotional distress, Associated Press reported.
According to Williams, he and other bystanders feared for their safety on that fatal day of May 25, 2020. He alleges that former officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on Floyd’s neck and held it there for almost nine minutes, was one of two officers who threatened them.
After Williams expressed concern for Floyd, Chauvin allegedly shook a can of mace at them. In addition, another former officer Tou Thao, who reportedly kept bystanders back during the incident, was named in the suit for placing his hand on Williams’ chest.
The officers’ actions brought Williams to seek more than $50,000 for one count of assault, one count of intentional infliction of emotional distress, and one count of negligent infliction of emotional distress, per the news outlet.
As for justice, Chauvin is currently serving two concurrent sentences. He was convicted of state murder and manslaughter charges in Floyd’s death and was sentenced to 22-1/2 years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to a separate federal charge of violating Floyd’s civil rights. During Chauvin’s trial, Williams testified that Chauvin was putting immense pressure on Floyd and yelled at the ex-officer that he was stopping the flow of Floyd’s blood supply.
In recent news, Thao was found guilty of aiding and abetting manslaughter. He rejected a plea agreement, and Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill finalized the decision based on written filings from each side and evidence from previous cases.
“While we have now reached the end of the prosecution of Floyd’s murder, it is not behind us,” Minnesota Attorney General and lead prosecutor Keith Ellison said, per a previous AP News report. “There is much more that prosecutors, law-enforcement leaders, rank-and-file officers, elected officials, and community can do to bring about true justice in law enforcement and true trust and safety in all communities.”
The Minneapolis City Council has recently agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by John Pope Jr. and Zoya Code for $8.9 million, who said Chauvin pressed his knee into their necks years before Floyd’s murder, as reported by CBS News.
