George Floyd's body returns to Houston for final services

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston's police chief says the body of George Floyd has arrived in Texas for a final memorial service and funeral.

Police Chief Art Acevedo tweeted early Sunday that Floyd's family had also arrived safely. A six-hour viewing for Floyd is planned for Monday in Houston, followed by funeral services and burial Tuesday in the suburb of Pearland. He will be laid to rest next to his mother, Larcenia Floyd.

Floyd, who was black and handcuffed, died May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer used his knee to pin down Floyd's neck for several minutes as Floyd begged for air and eventually stopped moving. His death has inspired international protests, drawn renewed scrutiny to the police treatment of African Americans and served as a rallying cry against institutional racism.

Previous memorials were held for Floyd in Minneapolis and Raeford, North Carolina, near where he was born.

Floyd was raised in Houston’s Third Ward and was a well-known former high school football player who rapped with local legend DJ Screw. He moved to Minneapolis several years ago to seek work and a fresh start. His face now appears on a mural in his old neighborhood and his name was chanted by tens of thousands last week at a protest and march in downtown Houston.

The four officers who took part in the deadly arrest of Floyd were all fired. The officer who pinned his neck down is charged with murder and other counts, and the other three are charged with aiding and abetting.