Boxing great Floyd Mayweather has offered to cover the funeral expenses for George Floyd, the 46-year-old African American man whose death while in police custody in Minneapolis sparked protests across the United States.
The former five-division world champion’s promotional company, Mayweather Productions, confirmed on Twitter that he had made the offer, and several reports said the family have accepted.
Derek Chauvin, the 44-year-old Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on Floyd, has been arrested on third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges. Three other officers involved in the arrest have not been charged.
The incident has prompted an outcry across the US and abroad, with numerous pro athletes and leagues speaking out, including NBA great Michael Jordan and 15-times major golf champion Tiger Woods.
Jordan released a statement on Sunday that condemned “ingrained racism” in the United States, while Woods said on Monday he has always respected US law enforcement but that their use of force on Floyd clearly crossed a line.
“I have always had the utmost respect for our law enforcement. They train so diligently to understand how, when and where to use force,” Woods posted on Twitter. “This shocking tragedy clearly crossed that line.”
Meanwhile, Steve Bisciotti, the owner of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, pledged $1m for social justice reform and said a group of former and current players would decide which organisations benefit.
“We must all discover new ways to unite. We must all work to break the cycle of systematic racial injustice,” Bisciotti said in a statement.