Philonise Floyd, George Floyd’s younger brother, took the witness stand on Monday to testify in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Philonise Floyd, 39, lives in Houston, Texas, where he is married with two children.
Testifying for the prosecution, he reflected on a childhood in Houston with his oldest brother George, as the two played Tecmo Bowl and Double Dribble on Nintendo.
MPR News YouTube
George “was a leader in our household,” his brother said, helping his younger siblings get ready for school.
“George couldn’t cook, but he’ll make sure you had a snack or something to get in the morning,” Philonise Floyd said.
Looking at a family photo of George and their mother, Philonise Floyd began tearing up.
“I miss both of them,” he said. “May 24, I got married. And my brother was killed May 25. And my mom died on May 30 [in 2018]. And it’s like a bittersweet month, because I was supposed to be happy when that month comes.”
Philonise Floyd said people would go to their church just because George Floyd was there. “He just was like a person everybody loved around the community. He just knew how to make people feel better,” he said.
Earlier in the day, expert cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Rich testified that George Floyd died from a cardiopulmonary arrest caused by low oxygen levels, which were induced by the prone restraint and positional asphyxiation that he was subjected to by police.
“I can state with a high degree of medical certainty that George Floyd did not die from a primary cardiac event and he did not die from a drug overdose,” Rich said.
