Thousands of mourners lined up in Houston Texas, for the public viewing for George Floyd, ahead of his burial on Tuesday.
African-American Floyd died 25 May in the hands of disgraced Minneapolis ex-police officer, Derek Chauvin.
Floyd’s death since then has ignited a wave of historic protests across the nation.
In Texas, the mourners lined up to form a procession to Floyd’s coffin inside the Fountain of Praise church.
Others paid their respects at a mural of Floyd on a wall in his old neighborhood in the city’s Third Ward.
“There’s something special about his life and his family,” said Bevan Walker, 50, as a snapped a photo of the mural. “His name is going to be synonymous with justice for generations to come.”
Meanwhile in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Floyd’s killer made his first court appearance on Monday.
A judge slapped him with a bail of up to $1.25 million.
Chauvin, 44, has been hit with second-degree murder charges for the May 25 death of Floyd, along with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges that allege he caused Floyd’s death through “culpable negligence,” including using a restraint that police are taught is “inherently dangerous.”
During the 11-minute hearing in Hennepin County District Court on Monday, Judge Jeannice Reding set bail at $1.25 million, or $1 million with conditions. If he accepts the conditions, the 44-year-old former officer can not make contact with Floyd’s family, can no longer work in law enforcement or security in the future, and must turn in all personal guns and permits.
“Obviously the death has had a strong reaction in the community, to put it mildly,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank said Monday.
The former officer, who appeared in court via video from Oak Park Heights prison wearing an orange jumpsuit and blue mask, did not enter a plea in the procedural hearing. Chauvin was expected to appear again in court on June 29.
Three other former officers—Thomas Lane, Tou Thao, and J. Alexander Kueng—have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder while committing a felony and with aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter with culpable negligence.
All four cops were fired May 26, as explosive footage of the botched arrest led to an international outcry and calls for a federal investigation into an incident some called a “legalized lynching.”
‘He Should Be Here’: All Four Officers Now Face Charges Over George Floyd’s Killing
According to Minnesota state law, second-degree murder is not premeditated and prosecutors much prove that while the suspect did not intend to cause death, they committed a felony offense during the incident.
The charge typically carries a maximum penalty of 40 years behind bars.
The other three officers face a maximum prison sentence of six years.
