NOT WHAT HE WANTED

George Floyd’s Fiancée Pleads for Calm in Minneapolis: ‘I Am Heartbroken’

“Floyd would not want people to get hurt... He lived his life protecting people,” Courteney Ross said of her late boyfriend, whose death has triggered widespread protests.

The woman who was George Floyd’s fiancée at the time of his death has reportedly pleaded for calm in Minneapolis, where a second day of protests against police descended into chaos. Fiancée Courteney Ross said she was “heartbroken” by the unrest, according to the Star Tribune. She added: “Floyd would not want people to get hurt... He lived his life protecting people. That is the truth.” Floyd’s death, which came after a Minneapolis cop kneeled on his neck, was shown in disturbing footage posted online and has sparked outrage through the nation. Overnight, businesses were set on fire, shops were broken into, and one person was shot dead in the area. There have reportedly been three shootings in the city during the protests. Police have also been called out in Los Angeles and Memphis, where Floyd’s death has also caused unrest.

Floyd’s family thanked protesters for “joining them in standing for JUSTICE” for their “Gentle Giant” but they called for peace on Wednesday, according to statement from their attorney Ben Crump. “They know that Black people want peace in their souls and that until we get #JusticeForFloyd there will be no peace,” Crump said, adding that looting and violence distracted from “the strength of our collective voice.”