On Saturday (June 6), hundreds of mourners gathered in Fayetteville, North Carolina to pay their respects to George Floyd, who was an unarmed black man that died at the hands of police brutality last month in Minneapolis.
According to USA Today, a public viewing was held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST “inside Raeford church, located about 10 miles west of Fayetteville, North Carolina.” ABC 11’s live stream captured mourners entering inside the church in groups of 10. They were asked to wear a health mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the viewing, Floyd’s family will host a private memorial service at 3 p.m. EST. Earlier this week, Floyd’s loved ones issued a statement after the three other officers involved in the late 46-year-old’s death were charged with aiding and abetting a murder in the second-degree.
“This is a bittersweet moment for the family of George Floyd,” the family said in a statement released by attorney Ben Crump. “We are deeply gratified that Attorney General Keith Ellison took decisive action in this case, arresting and charging all the officers involved in George Floyd’s death and upgrading the charge against Derek Chauvin to felony second-degree murder. This is a significant step forward on the road to justice and we are gratified that this important action was brought before George Floyd’s body was laid to rest. That is a source of peace for George’s family in this painful time.”
The statement continued, “We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support by Americans in cities across the country and we urge them to raise their voices for change in peaceful ways. Our message to them is: find constructive and positive ways to keep the focus and pressure on. Don’t let up on your demand for change.”
Take a look at George Floyd’s Fayetteville, NC service below.