George Floyd's family members celebrate verdict: âToday, we are able to breathe againâ By The Washington Post Toluse Olorunnipa and Robert Samuels For the family of George Floyd, the murder conviction of the former police officer who killed him was a confirmation of something they knew but feared the justice system might never validate: that their loved one's life mattered. "Today, we are able to breathe again," one of Floyd's younger brothers, Philonise, said during a news conference in Minneapolis after the verdict was released. "Justice for George means freedom for all." After Derek Chauvin, who killed Floyd with a prolonged knee to the neck last year, was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, Floyd's family members hugged one another tightly and shed tears of joy.