George Floyd's death will "change the arc of the future of the United States," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said outside of a memorial service in Floyd's hometown of Houston, Texas on Monday, according to CNN.
"George Floyd is going to change the arc of the future of the United States," Abbott told reporters outside The Fountain of Praise church, where he and hundreds of other mourners paid their respects. "George Floyd has not died in vain. His life will be a living legacy about the way that America and Texas responds to this tragedy.”
Floyd died May 25 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after a police officer knelt on his neck for about eight minutes while he lay on the ground, handcuffed. The officers involved in his death were eventually charged after widespread protests over the deaths of black men at the hands of law enforcement officers.
The governor also said Monday he would meet with Floyd's family later, where he would present them with a Texas flag that flew over the state Capitol after Floyd's death. He also said he would work with Floyd's family to "ensure we never have anything like this ever occur in the state of Texas."
"We're already working with legislators, we're working with his family," Abbott said. "His family asked me, and I promised his family, that I would use and incorporate their family in these discussions . . . the discussions about the pathway forward will not be taken over by politicians, but will be led by family members, that will be led by victims, that will be led by people who have suffered because of racism for far too long in this state and in this country."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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