A teenage store clerk who confronted George Floyd about his alleged use of a counterfeit $20 bill told a Minneapolis courtroom Wednesday that he was riddled with “disbelief and guilt” when he saw Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck minutes later. Floyd died as a result.
Christopher Martin was an employee at the Cup Foods where Floyd purchased a pack of cigarettes on May 25, 2020 with what appeared to be a fake $20 bill. According to Cup Foods policy, any employee who accepts counterfeit money has to deduct the loss from their paycheck. Martin was convinced that Floyd didn’t know the bill was fake and initially decided he would take the loss before second-guessing himself and informing his manager about the bill. Martin said the manager insisted he confront Floyd, who was sitting outside in his car, and ask him to come back into the store. Floyd and the other passengers in the car refused. Martin insisted that he’ll pay for the $20 bill himself, but his manager demanded he go outside and try again.
When that didn’t work, the manager ordered Martin’s co-worker to call the police. Soon, Floyd was on the ground and handcuffed, with Chauvin’s knee digging into Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Shocked bystanders caught the incident on camera, and Floyd was pronounced dead at the hospital just 30 minutes after the initial 911 call.
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