Philonise Floyd issued a statement regarding the Raiders’ tweet following the conviction of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter on Tuesday for his role in the death of George Floyd.
Chauvin killed Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, in May 2020 outside a grocery store in Minneapolis. Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes and refused to take the pressure off despite Floyd calling out “I can’t breathe” numerous times.
The Raiders tweeted “I CAN BREATHE 4-20-21” shortly after Chauvin’s conviction on Tuesday. The tweet drew criticism across social media.
Philonise Floyd issued the following statement:
“On behalf of our family, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the Las Vegas Raiders organization and its leadership for their support of our family and for our nation’s ongoing pursuit of justice and equality for all,” Floyd tweeted. “Now, more than ever, we must come together as one and continue on in this fight. For the first time in almost a year, our family has taken a breath.”
“And I know that goes for so many across the nation and globe, as well. Let’s take this breath together in honor of my big brother who couldn’t. Let’s do it for George.”
Raiders owner Mark Davis defended the tweet on Tuesday, adding he was responsible for its creation. Davis noted the post was paraphrasing a quote from Philonise Floyd, who said after Chauvin’s conviction “today, we are able to breathe again.”
Floyd’s death in May sparked protests throughout the nation in the fight against racial injustice and police brutality. Numerous athletes across the sports world participated in the rallies for justice, while many also worked to ensure voting rights in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election.
