George Perry Floyd Jr. (October 14, 1973 – May 25, 2020) was a black American man killed during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota , after allegedly using counterfeit money to buy cigarettes. Derek Chauvin , a white police officer, knelt on his neck for nearly eight minutes as he lay handcuffed on the ground. [nb 1] After his death, protests against police violence toward black people quickly spread across the United States and internationally. George Floyd Floyd in 2016 Born George Perry Floyd Jr. October 14, 1973 [1] Fayetteville, North Carolina , U.S. Died May 25, 2020 (aged 46) Minneapolis, Minnesota , U.S. Other names Big Floyd Occupation Truck driver security guard Home town Houston, Texas , U.S. Children 5 Floyd grew up in Houston , Texas. He played football and basketball throughout high school and college. He held several jobs, and he was also a hip hop artist and a mentor in his religious community. Between 1997 and 2005, he was convicted of eight crimes; in