George Floyd’s brother addresses Congress on police reforms

The brother of George Floyd, the unarmed black man killed by a white Minneapolis cop, pleaded with congressional lawmakers Wednesday to enact sweeping restrictions on the use of force by police — saying his brother’s death “changed the world.”

“I could not take care of ­George the day he was killed, but maybe by speaking with you today I can make sure that his death will not be in vain,” Philonise Floyd told the House Judiciary Committee in emotional testimony.

“To make sure that he is more than another face on a T-shirt, more than another name on a list that won’t stop growing. ­George always made sacrifices for our family and he made sacrifices for complete strangers. He was always a gentle giant.

“I was reminded of that when I watched the video of his murder. He called all the officers ‘Sir.’ He was mild-mannered. He did not fight back. He listened to all of the officers. The man who took his life suffocated him for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. He still called him ‘sir’ as he begged for his life.”

Philonise then spoke of the torment of watching his brother die.

“I can’t tell you the kind of pain you feel when you watch something like that, when you watch your big brother, who you looked up to your whole entire life, die — die begging for his mom. I am tired. I am tired of pain, pain you feel when you watch something like that . . .

“I am here to ask you to make it stop. Stop the pain. Stop us from being tired,” he said.

Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his brother’s neck on May 25, Memorial Day, suffocating him, in an incident captured on video that sparked unrest across the United States and the world.

Chauvin was later fired and charged with murder. The three officers who were with him have been charged with aiding and abetting

Philonise Floyd issued a forceful call for police reform to honor the memory of his brother, whom he referred to as “Perry,” his nickname, noting that his killing had touched people all over the world.

“Please listen to the call I am making to you now, to the calls of our family and the calls ringing out in the streets across the world. People of all backgrounds, gender, and ­races have come together to demand change. Honor them. Honor George and make the necessary changes that make law enforcement a solution and not the problem,” he said.

“Hold them accountable when they do something wrong. Teach them what it means to treat people with empathy and respect. Teach them what necessary force is. Teach them that deadly force should be used rarely — and only when life is at risk,” he declared.

His brother, he noted, was arrested for allegedly trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill.

“George was not hurting anyone that day. He did not deserve to die over $20. I am asking you, is that what a black man is worth? Twenty dollars?” Philonise asked

“This is 2020. The people marching in the streets are telling you enough is enough.

“The people elected you to speak for them to make positive change. George’s name means something. You have the opportunity here to make your name mean something, too.

“If his death ends up changing the world for the better, and I think it will, then he died as he lived,” Floyd added.

“It is on you to make sure his death is not in vain. I did not get the chance to say goodbye to Perry while he was here. I was robbed of that. But I know he is looking down at us now.

“Perry, look at what you did, brother. You changed the world.

“His life mattered. All our lives matter. Black lives matter,” Floyd said, crying.

“I just, I just wish I could get him back.”

Republicans, as the House minority, were allowed to call three witnesses. Among them was Daniel Bongino, who is a radio host and a contributor to Fox News.

He focused entirely on the “defund” movement, which he said would “target these heroes” in local police departments.

“Please stop this defund-the-police abomination before someone gets hurt,” Bongino said, recalling his stint as an NYPD cop and the more than 10 years he spent as a Secret Service agent.