Multiple businesses in Minneapolis are suing the city over alleged racist police behavior following the murder of George Flord in 2020.
The lawsuit, which was filed earlier this month by owners of Cup Foods and several other businesses, alleged that the city has failed to properly police the 38th and Chicago after Floyd’s death more than three years ago.
The businesses also complained about the cement barriers that have been up at the intersection since the martyr’s death, adding that the barricades have prevented people from entering their establishments while “the area has turned into a hub for violent crime.”
“The mayor, the city, the city council, and the Minneapolis Police Department collectively agreed to severely limit police response in the barricaded area surrounding plaintiffs’ businesses,” the lawsuit read.
“The police only responded to the most serious calls and actively avoided the area, even going as far as asking volunteer medics to go inside the barricaded area and bring victims out to them. Instead, the city allows civilian occupiers to ‘guard’ the zone, which has caused deadly and disastrous results.”
“Criminals know the area lacks police protection, and they have now made the area so dangerous that it has become known as the ‘No Go Zone,'” the lawsuit continued.
Back in July 2020, a month after George Floyd’s death, police acknowledged that they were being “mindful” in their response to the area. Business owners told Fox News in March 2021 that they felt “forgotten” by the city. Federal officials and Minneapolis police launched a campaign to fight crime in the 38th and Chicago neighborhoods that same month.
Residents and business leaders have also raised concerns about litter and trash in the area, along with crime problems, these past few months.
While city officials were unable to comment regarding the lawsuit, Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey insisted that the city did everything that it could to protect its residents.
“We did everything possible to open the street safely amid very tenuous circumstances. When we finally did open the street, the City did so in a planned way where no one was hurt and the area remained safe for residents,” Frey said in a statement.
