Multiple businesses located in the so-called “George Floyd Square” in Minneapolis have filed lawsuits against the city government for failing to properly police the area and prevent crime.
As the Daily Caller reports, the lawsuit was filed in mid-November by businesses in the area where George Floyd died of a fentanyl overdose while in police custody in May of 2020, which sparked nationwide race riots that resulted in the looting and destruction of hundreds of small businesses. The plaintiffs, who have stated that “the area lacks police protection,” are seeking $1.5 million in damages.
“The mayor, the city, the city council, and the Minneapolis Police Department collectively agreed to severely limit police response in the barricaded area surrounding plaintiffs’ businesses,” the lawsuit states in part. “Criminals know the area lacks police protection, and they have now made the area so dangerous that it has become known as the ‘No Go Zone.’”
Among the businesses involved in the lawsuit is Cup Foods, the store where Floyd attempted to use a fake $20 bill to make a purchase, which led to the call to police that caused the confrontation between Floyd and officer Derek Chauvin. Other businesses joining in on the lawsuit include a tobacco store and an investment business, both of which are owned by the same family.
A spokesman for the city has since responded to the lawsuit by pointing out that, in the aftermath of the riots and the Chinese Coronavirus pandemic, the city offered services to businesses such as forgivable COVID loans, enhanced technical assistance, and more connections to external resources such as relief funds.
Officer Chauvin was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in April of 2021, while three other officers who were also at the scene were convicted on lesser charges. Chauvin, whose appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court on November 20th, was stabbed in prison over the weekend, but is now in stable condition and expected to survive his injuries.