I am outraged at the City of Minneapolis, which prejudiced Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin's trial with a premature settlement based on partisan woke politics and not the facts.

No, I am not outraged at the death of a drug-addled criminal who most likely died of a self-administered drug overdose – unfortunately, while in the custody of Minneapolis police. If he had died anywhere else, Floyd would have been autopsied and the cause of death ascribed to a lethal dose of Fentanyl. A personal and family tragedy, to be sure – but not one that should result in the death and destruction caused by radical progressive socialist democrats who exploited Floyd’s death as a symbol of near non-existent police brutality when using force to subdue a resisting suspect. A strong, six-four-foot suspect who appears to be undergoing a psychotic episode.

I am outraged that the City of Minneapolis would agree that George Floyd’s life was worth $27 million – and before a criminal, not civil, trial that could have revealed mitigating facts.

Minneapolis City Council Approves $27 Million Settlement for George Floyd’s Family

The Minneapolis City Council approved a $27 million settlement on Friday for the family of George Floyd, an African American resident killed during his arrest by city police officers.

The family’s attorney, Ben Crump, said it was the largest pre-trial settlement in history for a civil rights suit.

The settlement “sends a powerful message that Black lives do matter and police brutality against people of color must end,” Crump told reporters in a statement.

“This agreement is a necessary step for all of us to begin to get some closure,” Floyd’s brother Rodney said. “George’s legacy for those who loved him will always be his spirit of optimism that things can get better, and we hope this agreement does just that—that it makes things a little better in Minneapolis and holds up a light for communities around the country.”

Floyd’s family filed the a federal civil rights suit in July against the city and four officers involved in Floyd’s arrest and death on May 25. The incident, during which former officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd to the ground with his knee on Floyd’s neck, sparked massive riots in cities across the U.S., along with protests that continued throughout the summer.

“I do want to, on behalf of the entire City Council, offer my deepest condolences to the family of George Floyd, his friends and all of our community who are mourning his loss,” Council president Lisa Bender said on Friday [3/12/21]. <Source>

And before you point to the family’s need and suffering, consider that more than $14 million in GoFundMe donations were received for a man whose criminal ways appeared to be ongoing. Moreover, my outrage is stoked by the activist attorney who “helicoptered” to the disaster, made material false statements to the media and public, and walked away with another big payday.

Speaking to the public after a pre-trial hearing at the Hennepin County Family Justice Center, where Derek Chauvin is on trial for the death of George Floyd while in police custody, attorney Benjamin Crump said …

“They are trying to kill George Floyd a second time. They made all kinds of foolish allegations, talking about he died of a drug overdose. I want to be clear about this, the only overdose that killed George Floyd was an overdose of excessive force and racism by the Minneapolis police department.” <Source>

What was not being widely reported during the riots:

Pre-existing medical conditions and the existence of drugs in the system…

Handwritten notes of a law enforcement interview with Dr. Andrew Baker, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, say Floyd had 11 ng/mL of fentanyl in his system. "If he were found dead at home alone and no other apparent causes, this could be acceptable to call an OD. Deaths have been certified with levels of 3," Baker told investigators. In another new document, Baker said, "That is a fatal level of fentanyl under normal circumstances." But then Baker added, "I am not saying this killed him." Defense attorneys for the officers have signaled they will argue Floyd died from the drugs and pre-existing health conditions. The new documents say Floyd had a "heavy heart" and "at least one artery was approximately 75% blocked." <Source>

The Minneapolis Police Department trained its officers to use the neck restraint…

The Minneapolis Police Department training manual illustrates the approved use of a restraint maneuver to be used on suspects that are resisting arrest. The manual details the department's authorized use of force techniques and the differences between neck restraints and chokeholds.

A chokehold, the manual states, is a "deadly force option," which the police department defines as "applying direct pressure on a person's trachea or airway." A neck restraint is a "non-deadly force option" defined as "compressing one or both sides of a person's neck with an arm or leg, without applying direct pressure to the trachea or airway."  The training manual, issued to all new officers, also features an image of how to execute the neck restraint. "Ok they are in handcuffs now what," the title above the image states. The department warns that "sudden cardiac arrest typically occurs immediately following a violent struggle." It also advises officers to "place the subject in the recovery position to alleviate positional asphyxia" and encourages officers to call emergency services once the suspect is in handcuffs. 

Bottom line…

Ugly as it seems on video, compassion for a paranoid, pathetic, and struggling Floyd aside, it appears Officer Derek Chauvin’s use of force is within police policy, and Chauvin is a victim of our times – when progressive socialist democrats and race hustlers make everything about race for political exploitation.

We will now wait for court proceedings – findings that are guaranteed to be disputed and exploited by activists and agitators in the community to advance their personal and professional political agenda. That the George Floyd death was racist is patently absurd. Like many use of force cases, had Floyd complied with police commands and not resisted arrest, perhaps he would still be alive.

We are so screwed – but not more than the Officers caught in a woke racial nightmare, not of their making.

-- steve