MINNEAPOLIS HISTORY
Hennepin County • Minnesota Local
Minneapolis has several nicknames: “Mill City”, “Twin Cities” (with Saint Paul), “Mini Apple”. Minneapolis has one of the nation’s best park systems. It is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls, many connected by parkways.
The natural beauty of Minneapolis was overshadowed by the events of Memorial Day, May 25, 2020, when George Floyd, a 46 year old African American man, was murdered by police in plain site on a city street in front of a corner store in full view of motorist and pedestrians.
George Perry Floyd Jr. (October 14, 1973 – May 25, 2020) was an African American man who was murdered by police officer Derek Chauvin during an arrest after a store clerk suspected Floyd may have used a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill, on May 25, 2020.
The Murder of George Floyd
Derek Chauvin, one of four police officers who arrived on the scene, knelt on Floyd’s neck and back for 9 minutes and 29 seconds resulting in his death.
Chauvin was convicted on two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter on April 20, 2021 and on June 25, 2021, was sentenced to 22.5 years in state prison.
Violating George Floyd’s Civil Rights
In December 2021, Chauvin plead guilty to federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights by using unreasonable force and ignoring his serious medical distress.
On February 24, 2022 three officers on-scene were found guilty of violating Floyd’s civil rights in Federal Court in St. Paul, Minnesota.
After deliberating for 13 hours over two days, the federal jury on February 24, 2022 found the three former officers guilty on all counts they faced at trial.
All three officers were convicted of willfully violating Floyd’s constitutional rights by not providing medical care when he lost a pulse. Kueng and Thao were also found guilty of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin from using unreasonable force.
In December 2021, Chauvin plead guilty to federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights by using unreasonable force and ignoring Floyd’s serious medical needs.
Three former Minneapolis police officers were convicted by a federal jury who rejected their arguments that inexperience, improper training or the distraction of shouting bystanders excused them from failing to prevent Floyd’s killing.
Trial of Lane, Kueng, and Thao
The state murder trial of the other three officers, Thomas Lane (Lane who is White), J. Kueng (Kueng, who is Black) and Tou Thao (Thao who is Hmong American) who were at the scene of Floyd’s murder faces state charges.
The state criminal trial of James Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao was delayed several times to allow the federal civil rights case to proceed first. Next for the three former officers, the state criminal trial.
The other three officers were also later convicted of violating Floyd’s civil rights. Lane pleaded guilty in May 2022 to a state charge for aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Kueng and Thao are scheduled to be tried on state charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in October 2022, though their trial has been delayed several times.
On May 18, 2022, Thomas Lane pleaded guilty in Hennepin County court to the charge of aiding and abetting manslaughter related to the murder of George Floyd. The charge against Lane for aiding and abetting second-degree murder was dismissed. Lane agreed to a three-year sentence, with two years in prison, to be served concurrently with his civil rights federal conviction. A formal sentencing hearing for Lane was scheduled for September 21, 2022.
The trial of Kueng and Thao was delayed several times. Attorneys for Kueng and Thao sought a change in venue, but it was denied by Judge Cahill. The trial is scheduled for October 24, 2022.
Reaction the George Floyd murder
On May 26, hundreds of people, then marched to the 3rd Precinct of the Minneapolis Police. Participants used posters and slogans with phrases such as “Justice for George”, “I can’t breathe”, and “Black Lives Matter”. This was followed by civil unrest, with National Guard troops joining local police to help restore order.
The murder of George Floyd set off a series of protests in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and swiftly spread across the rest of the United States, later spreading around the world in over 2,000 cities, as part of a reckoning over racial justice.
Numerous statues and monuments honoring persons or events associated with slavery and racism were vandalized, removed, or destroyed during the protests in the U.S. and elsewhere.
The city of Minneapolis settled monetary claims against the city with the Floyd family. Chokeholds and other neck restraints were banned or restricted by at least 17 state legislatures in the year after Floyd’s murder.
Floyd’s family held a public memorial in Houston on June 8, and a private service on June 9. The family said professional boxer Floyd Mayweather paid for the services. Floyd’s body was on public view on June 8 in his hometown of Houston. Former Vice President and the 2020 presumptive and eventual Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, met with the Floyd family privately and gave a video message at the funeral. Floyd is buried next to his mother in Pearland, Texas.
Darnella Frazier, the 17-year-old who filmed Floyd’s restraint on her cell phone, received the 2020 PEN/Benenson Courage Award from PEN America. The award was presented to her at an awards ceremony in December 2020 by film director Spike Lee. PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said that Frazier’s act sparked a “bold movement demanding an end to systemic anti-black racism and violence at the hands of police.” In June 2021, Frazier also received a special citation from the Pulitzer Prize committee in 2021 for her video. The staff of the Star Tribune received the prize for Breaking News Reporting for their coverage of protests.
Minneapolis has taken positive steps
Despite being known for a great economy and a high quality of life, Minneapolis, with several fortune 500 companies, sometimes struggles with issues that have distracted from its progressive approach to business and support for economic growth.
The City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County local communities embraces cultural equality, diversity, inclusion, equity, unity and has many positive-minded and inspiring people as well as historic business-friendly diverse communities. The city is committed to racial justice.
Minneapolis residents and local business owners are rolling out the best 21st century “Welcome to Minneapolis” welcome mat to new entrepreneurs, new startups, business founders, new residents and more value-added businesses.
The City of Minneapolis is in a fast growing area for businesses. In the spirit of early settlers, Minneapolis is an ideal location where local creativity can thrive and where self-starter entrepreneurs can start their dream business online or offline.
Business startups in retail sales, clothing, fashion, makeup, beauty, healthcare, legal, medical services, information technology, restaurants, online sales, cleaning services, beauty salons, barber shops, and construction are always in demand in a growing community. Shop Local! Buy Local!
