Police killed their loved ones. Now they’re hopeful of a conviction of the officer charged in death of George Floyd

Philonise Floyd wrapped his arm around Gwen Carr’s shoulder, staring into the throng of television cameras outside the Hennepin County Government Center. “One thing I can tell you,” Philonise said, looking at Carr, “after we get the verdict — after we get this conviction — we will be able to breathe.” As the nation focuses on the final days of the murder trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, so too do the families of dozens of other Black people killed in recent years by police, many of whom, like Floyd and Garner, had their final breaths captured on video that rocketed across the country. “That means for Daunte Wright,” Crump said, his voice booming during a news conference at a North Minneapolis church one day last week, “that means George Floyd, that means all the others. Whether it is Stephon Clark, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Terence Crutcher, Alton Sterling, Laquan McDonald, Philando Castile, Corey Jones, Rekia Boyd … so many of our children have been killed by the very people who are supposed to protect and serve them.” Nine-hundred thirty miles south in Dallas, another civil rights attorney, Daryl Washington, who has represented families of Black people killed by police, including Jordan Edwards and Botham Jean, has watched the Chauvin trial on television every day. Justice for Tamir Rice Justice for Breonna Taylor Justice for Daunte Wright “This is a club nobody wants to be a part of,” said Stevante Clark, who traveled to Minneapolis from Sacramento last week to support Wright’s family.