A livestream of the event, set to occur between noon and 6 p.m. local time is currently available through several news wires via YouTube. Floyd died from “mechanical asphyxia,” according to two separate autopsies, after a Minneapolis police officer placed his knee over his neck for several minutes and he stopped responding. The officer, Derek Michael Chauvin, stands charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter - he is set to appear in court today 1,200 miles north of Floyd’s Houston memorial.
The six-hour Monday memorial service for Floyd is open to the public and will be held at the Fountain Life Center on the southwest side of Houston. His body arrived from Minnesota Monday in a gold-colored casket and the church assembled a large floral arrangement with white and blue roses and a heart-shaped message which reads, “BLM,” Black Lives Matter. Floyd’s family said public attendees should come Monday because the Tuesday service is limited to 500 people and will include primarily family and friends.
Floyd’s family and the church organizers say mourners and attendees are required to wear masks and gloves in compliance with coronavirus pandemic safety guidelines. Livestream video from outside the Fountain Life public memorial service Monday morning showed hundreds of attendees already lined up before doors open at noon.
Floyd’s funeral will be held Tuesday and he is to be buried at the Houston Memorial Gardens cemetery in suburban Pearland. He will be laid to rest next to his late mother, Larcenia Floyd.
According to the Associated Press, former Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to speak with Floyd’s family in Houston Tuesday and he will provide a video message which will be played at his funeral service. Biden is not expected to physically attend either service.
The Houston memorial for Floyd is the last of several across the country, including one which took place in Minneapolis and another in Raeford, North Carolina, close to where the 46-year-old was born.
In Minneapolis on Monday, Chauvin appeared via video feed in Hennepin County Court to be officially charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Protests have occurred in cities throughout the United States against police brutality and systemic racism within law enforcement. Several Minneapolis City Council members on Sunday proposed plans to dismantle the police department entirely in favor of community safety reforms.
Three other ex-officers are charged in connection with Floyd’s death, including J. Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, all of whom are accused of aiding and abetting his death.
