Philonese Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, joined CNN to discuss his testimony today in the US House of Representatives.
Floyd said he went to Capitol Hill because he “wanted to let them know about how the officer put his knee on my brother’s neck, and how my brother pleaded for his life.”
“I talk for a while trying to let them know that my brother, his death will not be in vein. I didn’t want him to be another guy on a t-shirt. I told them how much I loved him, how much he was a role model to people growing up around me,” he said.
When asked by CNN’s Don Lemon if his message got across, Floyd said: “I think they heard me loud and clear.”
Benjamin Crump, the Floyd family attorney who appeared beside Philonese Floyd during the interview, said he came away encouraged.
“For the first time, I believe that we have a real opportunity of getting people to come from across the aisle and change the culture and behavior of people across America,” Crump said. “We went to congress because we know if there’s a change in policing in America, it has to start at the top. And so, the lawmakers even on the other side of the aisle were literally saying that we have to do something about this.
Crump said key issues mentioned were qualified immunity for police, chokeholds and the use of body cameras
“That’s what the George Floyd law is going to speak to,” Crump said. “This is our time. This is our time.”
