George Floyd memorial in North Carolina as sheriff's officers escort his body

George Floyd died last week in Minneapolis police custody, and on Saturday his body will be escorted by another set of law enforcement officers for a memorial service in North Carolina.

A public viewing is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cape Fear Conference B in Raeford, about 24 miles from Fayetteville. A private service for family members only will begin at 3 p.m. and will be broadcast.

The Hoke County Sheriff’s Office will escort Floyd’s body, and about 125 people are expected to attend the service, said Maj. Freddy Johnson.

Floyd, who was black, died on May 25 after officer Derek Chauvin held his knee on his neck for more than eight minutes. In a video, Floyd begs as he is pinned on the ground: “Please, please, please. I can’t breathe.”

His death has sparked nationwide protests and ignited conversations on racism and police brutality.

Chauvin was fired by the Minneapolis Police Department and arrested on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter. The murder charge was upgraded to second-degree Wednesday.

Three other officers involved also lost their jobs and were taken into custody on charges of aiding and abetting murder, according to criminal complaints filed by the state of Minnesota.

Floyd’s sister, Bridgette Floyd, is a resident of Hoke County, where Raeford is, according to NBC affiliate WRAL in Raleigh. She told the outlet that he was born in Fayetteville and eventually moved to Texas.

A memorial service is planned for Houston on Monday, followed by a private service the following day.

Hoke County Sheriff Hubert Peterkin issued a statement on Facebook asking for people attending the public viewing Saturday to “be respectful to the sensitivity of the family’s time of grief.”

“The memorial is about the life that Mr. George Floyd lived and this is a time to embrace the family with expressions of love and kindness,” he said.

The first memorial service for Floyd was held Thursday in Minneapolis. Among the attendees were Floyd’s younger brother, Philonise Floyd; family attorney Benjamin Crump; Rev. Al Sharpton; actress Tiffany Haddish; comedian Kevin Hart; rappers T.I. and Ludacris; the Rev. Jesse Jackson; Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey; and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, was also at the service. Her son died in 2014 during an arrest on Staten Island in New York City, as he, too, pleaded “I can’t breathe.”

source: nbcnews.com