George Floyd was a ‘big mama’s boy,’ brother tells court in tearful testimony at Derek Chauvin trial
George Floyd was a “big mama’s boy” whose respect and relationship with her was an example for the entire family, one of Floyd’s brothers tearfully testified Monday at the murder trial of ex-Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin.
“It was one of a kind,” Philonise Floyd said of his older brother’s connection with their late mom. “Every mother loves all her kids, but it was so unique how they were with each other.”
“He showed us how to treat our mom and how to respect our mom. He loved her so dearly,” he told the court after a prosecutor showed a picture of Larcenia Floyd.
Known as Ms. Cissy, the matriarch died in May 2018 — about two years before her 46-year-old son was taken into custody and pinned facedown against the pavement in a deadly police encounter that shocked the nation. Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, is on trial for murder and manslaughter charges connected to the case.
Philonise Floyd, 39, the first family member to take the witness stand in the closely watched trial, recounted in heartbreaking detail his older brother’s life, from his birth in Fayetteville, N.C., to Houston, where they were raised with two older sisters and a younger brother. They lived for years at a low-income apartment and enjoyed playing video games together, he said.
He also told the jury George Floyd loved playing sports and used to make the “best banana mayonnaise sandwiches” for his siblings. He described his older brother as “the leader in the household.”
“He would always make sure that we had our clothes for school,” Philonise Floyd told the court.
“George couldn’t cook, but he would make sure you have a snack in the morning,” he said. “He was one of those people in the community that when they had church outside, people would attend church because he was there. He was a person that everybody loved in the community. He just knew how to make people feel better.”
