George Floyd's brother returns to Houston after Chauvin's guilty verdict

Miya Shay Image
Saturday, April 24, 2021
George Floyd's brother returns to Houston with hope
Philonise Floyd, the younger brother of George Floyd, returned home to Houston after the conviction of the officer who killed his sibling.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- In the early hours of Friday morning, the younger brother of George Floyd, Philonise, exhaled.

"Justice for George," he said. "To me, it means freedom for all."

It is hard to capture all that Philonise and the Floyd family has been through this past year. The death of his older brother, the international reaction, the rallies, the protests, the trial, and this week, the conviction.

Finally, at a Houston airport, he took a moment to reflect.

"This is a historic moment that people of color will remember for the rest of their lives," he said. "There's never been a case of this magnitude that people have watched on television and looked at it and hope and prayed as much as we did."

SEE ALSO: Derek Chauvin verdict: Jury finds ex-cop guilty of murder, manslaughter in George Floyd's death

It took barely more than a day of deliberations, then just minutes for the verdicts to be read before Chauvin was handcuffed and taken to prison.

"I think accountability has been served, and I think a lot of people have been waiting for that all across America, and that's why so many people have watched this trial," he said.

Houston itself, has been transformed by Floyd's story.

There are a number of murals honoring the Houston native that line the streets of Third Ward and areas near downtown.

One of those murals, at the corner of Chartres and Bell in Houston's Graffiti Park, was vandalized on Thursday.

SEE ALSO: George Floyd mural in downtown Houston vandalized with racial slur

Someone wrote the words, "N***** lives don't matter" across the mural located on Chartres and Bell Streets.

The mural was quickly cleaned up by the artist, and since then, support has poured in.

Texas Surveillance, a local security camera company, is now offering to donate and install a surveillance system in the Graffiti Park area to help monitor against future vandals.

"We were disturbed by it," said Texas Surveillance employee Heather Sherman. "We would love to help these artists and the community by donating a system to put up to keep this issue from occurring."

Sherman says she hopes the owner of the building will reach out to their company.

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