George Floyd was a 46-year-old African-American man who was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and raised in Houston, Texas. He attended Yates High School where he played on the basketball and football teams. Floyd was a star tight end for Yates, helping them to the 1992 state championship final game. He played basketball at South Florida Community College from 1993 to 1995. Floyd returned to Houston where he joined the hip hop group Screwed Up Click and rapped under the stage name “Big Floyd.”

George Floyd Birth 14 Oct 1973

In 2014, Floyd moved to Minnesota. He lived in St. Louis Park and worked in nearby Minneapolis as a restaurant security guard for five years. At the time of his death, Floyd had recently lost his job due to Minnesota’s stay-at-home order during the COVID-19 pandemic. Floyd was the father of two daughters and a son. He was described as a “gentle giant” by friends and family.

George Floyd Death 25 May 2020 (aged 46)

On May 25, 2020, he was killed during an arrest in Powderhorn, a neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Autopsies classify his death as attributed to cardiopulmonary arrest caused by subdual and restraint and also consistent with mechanical asphyxia, neck compresssion and back compression. His death sparked protests and moments of silence across the globe.