A $150,000 settlement is agreed to pay to an eyewitness who tried to interfere to prevent George Floyd’s murder by the Minneapolis City Council as the eyewitness said he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to this incident. A mixed martial arts fighter named Donald Williams who fight against former Officer Derek Chauvin in his 2021 murder trial reported against the city last spring as he was assaulted while trying to stop Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020.
The lawsuit put allegation on Chauvin for looking directly at Williams, then grabbed a canister full of chemical spray and started shaking it towards him. William was heard urging to get off from Chauvin in the video played at trial. Former Officer Tou Thao stepped toward Williams and placed his hand on chest of Williams according to the lawsuit.
Floyd was black man died on May 25, 2020 when Chauvin (a white man) kneeled on his neck for 9 ½ minutes when Floyd tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill in a convenience store. A video from Bystander captured that Floyd was crying of “I can’t breathe”.
Chauvin was sentenced to imprisonment of 22 ½ years on murder charged in Floyd’s death. He was also charged for violating Floyd’s civil rights with some separate federal charges. Thao and two other former officers who were involved in the incident are serving shorter sentences than Chauvin faced.