George Floyd’s daughter, Gianna Floyd, told a courtroom on Friday of how she has missed spending time with her father in the more than a year that has passed since his murder.
Delivering a family impact statement ahead of the sentencing of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering Gianna’s father, the 7-year-old described how she missed her dad’s presence in her life.
“I ask about him all the time,” she said.
“I want to play with him, have fun, go on a plane ride and that’s it,” Gianna said.
Describing her life with her dad, the 7-year-old said: “We used to have dinner every single night before we went to bed. My daddy always used to help me brush my teeth.”
Recommended
Gianna said she knew that “mean people” had done something to her father.
If she could speak to him again, she said she would say: “I miss you and I love you.”
Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in April, nearly a year after Mr Floyd’s death.
Mr Floyd died after Chauvin kneeled on his neck for more than nine minutes, ignoring his pleas for air, during an arrest over the alleged use of a counterfeit $20 note.
Legal experts have predicted that Chauvin could face decades in prison for the crime.
Members of the Floyd family have called for Chauvin to face the maximum sentence.
In his own impact statement, Brandon Williams, Mr Floyd’s nephew, said: “Although Chauvin will be sentenced today and spend time in prison, he will have the luxury of seeing his family again, talking to them, he will likely get to spend time with them upon his release.”
“George’s murder, this trial, and everything in between has been tragically devastating, our family is forever broken and one thing we cannot get back is George Floyd,” he said.
Terrence Floyd, Mr Floyd’s brother, echoed those sentiments, saying: “We don’t want to see no more slaps on the wrist, we’ve been through that already,” he said.
“In my community, in my culture, we’ve been through that already,” he said. “Smacked on the wrist.”
“No, no, no, no, no. Because if this, if it was us, if the roles were reversed, there would have been no case, it would have been open and shut, we’d have been under the jail for murdering somebody, so we ask for that same penalty for Derek Chauvin,” he said.
