President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris issued a statement over Memorial Day weekend regarding the death of George Floyd, saying “he should have lived.”
Biden and Harris’ statement came four years after the death of Floyd, who died in police custody on May 25, 2020, sparking protests and riots across the country.
WATCH: ‘NYPD, suck my dick!’ George Floyd protester yells vulgarity
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“George Floyd should have lived. He deserved so much more,” Biden said. I have written X’s post read: “Today, I join all who loved him and all who were moved by the civil rights movement he inspired in remembering the tragedy and injustice of his death. He changed the world. Now is the time to act in his memory.”
George Floyd should have lived. He deserved so much more.
Today, I join all who loved him and all who were touched by the civil rights movement he inspired in remembering the tragedy and injustice of his death.
He changed the world.
Now let’s take action in his memory. pic.twitter.com/uPSCkxFMRs
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 25, 2024
Harris, likewise, issued In her post on X, she said Floyd “deserved to be safe” and “should still be alive.”
In memory of him, President Biden and I reiterate our commitment to building a justice system worthy of his name.
Although progress has been made, there is still much work to be done, including passing the George Floyd Police Justice Act.
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) May 25, 2024
“In honor of his memory, President Biden and I reiterate our commitment to building a justice system worthy of his name,” Harris wrote. “We have made progress, but there is much more to be done, including passing the George Floyd Police Justice Act.”
Floyd died after former Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck while he was handcuffed and lying face down on the ground.
During Chauvin’s trial in April 2021, Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker testified that heart disease and drugs contributed to Floyd’s death.
Baker added that the department has certified overdose deaths of people with lower amounts of fentanyl than was found in Floyd’s system.
WATCH: Forensic pathologist says George Floyd’s death would have been ruled an overdose if police hadn’t been there
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Chauvin was convicted of all three charges in Floyd’s death: second-degree manslaughter, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Baker was also questioned in February 2022 at the trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating Floyd’s rights.
During cross-examination, Baker said Floyd’s death was caused by police “subduing, restraining and neck compression” that caused Floyd’s heart and lungs to stop functioning.
Baker said drugs and heart disease contributed to Floyd’s death but were not the main cause. Floyd also reportedly had narrowed arteries and an enlarged heart that required more oxygen, Baker said.
