Louisiana inmates used hair trimmers in efforts to escape from New Orleans jail, source says

Louisiana inmates used hair trimmers in efforts to escape from New Orleans jail, source says

The 10 inmates who broke out of a New Orleans jail in a stunning overnight escape last week used electric hair trimmers with multiple clipper blades to help cut their way through the cell walls, a source with direct knowledge of the investigation told CNN. Investigators continue to comb through previous jail phone recordings and believe that other incarcerated inmates or employees at the jail could face additional charges for their role assisting in theMay 16 escapeand initial cover-up in the hours following the jailbreak, according to the source. Those inmates are believed to have placed the toilet back on the wall after the jailbreak to conceal the hole behind the toilet that escapees used to break free. In addition, the inmates also provided towels to the escapees which were used to help them scale the barbed wire fence surrounding the Orleans Parish Jail, the source told CNN. The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, which oversees the Orleans Justice Center jail facility, has not responded to CNN's questions about the details surrounding the escape, including whether inmates are allowed to have access to electric hair trimmers and barber equipment. Authorities continued to search for five of the escapees as of Friday afternoon. Five others have been recaptured and are being heldwithout bondat the maximum-security Louisiana State Penitentiary. Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill visited the Orleans Justice Center earlier this week as part of the ongoing investigation into the escape. The district attorney said Thursday the director of the New Orleans Police Department Crime Lab visited the jail to begin a formal forensic processing of the scene, which he said was not requested by the sheriff's office. Williams formally asked the sheriff's office to voluntarily cooperate with the forensic analysis, including by sharing any records of staff fingerprints or DNA "for the purpose of inclusion or elimination of their profiles," according to a letter Williams sent to the sheriff's office on Thursday that was obtained by CNN. A separate letter from Thursday formally requested the sheriff's officepreserve all recordsrelated to the jailbreak, including surveillance video and electronic communications between staff. "It is critically important to get all fugitives back into custody. But it is equally important that we identify and hold accountable anyone who facilitated or assisted with this historic jailbreak," the district attorney wrote. "If you were manning the security system, you would have known a door was opening," former Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman, who ran the jail from 2004 to 2022, told CNN. "Especially in the middle of the night," Gusman said. He oversaw construction at the Orleans Justice Center, which re-opened in 2015 as part of a Federal Emergency Management Agency project to replace older jail structures that were damaged during Hurricane Katrina. Gusman told CNN he has no idea how the inmates got into the pipe chase behind the toilet and sink, but emphasized they had to navigate through walls made with a "substantial" network of concrete molding about "5 inches thick" and mixed with rebar, which is re-enforced steel. "And the pipe chase is secure; if you open the door in the pipe chase, an alarm should go off," the former sheriff told CNN. "If you get into the pipe chase, it's not like you are out. You still have to get to another door." Gusman added, "So however they got into the pipe chase, I don't know, but once they got into the pipe chase, there was a door that they had to leave out of the pipe chase onto the loading dock." A maintenance worker with the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, Sterling Williams, was arrested Tuesday. Williams, 33, is accused of "willfully and maliciously" assisting with the jailbreak, according to an affidavit. He faces one count of malfeasance in office and 10 counts of being a principal to simple escape. Williams' attorney, Michael Kennedy, said the worker was turning off water to an overflowing toilet after being told to do so and is"fully convinced"of his client's innocence. Six other suspected accomplices have also been arrested for allegedly helping some of the 10 escapees. On Friday, New Orleans police announced the arrest of Casey Smith, who is accused of helping two fugitives. The 30-year-old was taken into custody Thursday in the city's Third District. "Smith admitted to her role in aiding the escapees' transport along with Cortnie Harris," who was arrested Wednesday for her alleged role in the incident, New Orleans police said. Authorities arrestedTrevon Williamson Friday in connection with the inmates' escape. Trevon Williams, who was already in jail on unrelated charges, was rebooked on an additional charge of principal to simple escape, according toan X postfrom Murrill. New Orleans police announced the arrest of Emmitt Weber, 28, on Friday. Weber faces a charge of accessory after the fact of simple escape, authorities said. Meanwhile, another suspect, Corvanntay Baptiste, was arrested earlier this week after allegedly communicating with escapee Corey Boyd via phone and social media and helping him get food, Louisiana State Police said. Another arrestee, Connie Weeden, is accused of sending cash via a cell phone app to escapee Jermaine Donald. The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections is deploying at least 10 seasoned auditors to the Orleans Justice Center this week to investigate the escape. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry tasked the department with auditing the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, to ensure they were in compliance with "conditions necessary to ensure the safe, efficient, effective and legal operation of a jail facility," the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections told CNN. The last audit of the facility was in 2014, over a decade ago, according to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, before the jail located in New Orleans' Mid-City neighborhood was opened. A team of over 200 local, state and federal law enforcement officers and agentsis working around the clockto capture the remaining missing inmates, according to state police. CNN's Matt Rehbein, Rebekah Riess, Hanna Park, Cindy Von Quednow, Zoe Sottile and Holly Yan contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byRoger Fisher

in

May 24, 2025

Louisiana inmates used hair trimmers in efforts to escape from New Orleans jail, source says

Louisiana inmates used hair trimmers in efforts to escape from New Orleans jail, source says The 10 inmates who broke out of a New Orleans j...

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South Lebanon votes in municipal elections that will test support for Hezbollah

South Lebanon votes in municipal elections that will test support for Hezbollah

BEIRUT (AP) — Residents of southern Lebanon voted Saturday in thecountry's municipal electionsthat will test support for Hezbollah in the predominantly Shiite areas, months after the end of thedestructive Israel-Hezbollahwar. Hezbollah is running in an alliance with the Amal group of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and both are expected to win mayoral races and the majority of seats in municipal councils. Both groups already won many municipalities uncontested. South Lebanon is the fourth and last district to vote in the elections since May 4. Among those who voted Saturday were Hezbollah members wounded in the Sept. 17, 2024, explosions of thousands ofpagersthat blew up near-simultaneously in an operation carried out by Israel. More than a dozen were killed and nearly 3,000 wounded. "The will of life is stronger than death and the will of construction is stronger than destruction,"President Joseph Aounsaid during a tour of south Lebanon Saturday. He told reporters in his hometown of Aaichiyeh that he voted for the first time in 40 years. Saturday's vote came two days after Israel's air force carried out intense airstrikes in different parts of south Lebanon. Residents of villages and towns on the border with Israel, including the village ofKfar Kilathat was almost completely destroyed during the war, cast their ballots at polling stations set up in the nearby city of Nabatiyeh. Residents of other border villages cast their ballots in the port city of Tyre. "Southerners are proving again that they are with the choice of resistance," Hezbollah legislator Ali Fayad, who represents border villages, said in Nabatiyeh. Lebanon's cash-strapped government has been scrambling to secure international funds for the war reconstruction, which the World Bank estimates at over $11 billion. Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, one day after a deadlyHamas-led incursioninto southern Israel sparked the war in Gaza. Israel responded with shelling and airstrikes in Lebanon that escalated into a full-blown war that left more than 4,000 dead in Lebanon and more than 80 soldiers and 47 civilians in Israel. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire went into effect in late November.

byRoger Fisher

in

May 24, 2025

South Lebanon votes in municipal elections that will test support for Hezbollah

South Lebanon votes in municipal elections that will test support for Hezbollah BEIRUT (AP) — Residents of southern Lebanon voted Saturday i...

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Dermatologists say Marines' tightened shaving waiver could hurt Black members' careers

Dermatologists say Marines' tightened shaving waiver could hurt Black members' careers

Air Force veteran Ed Anderson can't recall any time past puberty when he didn't get razor bumps after shaving his face. His coarse facial hair would often cause painful inflammation and itchy bumps as it grew back. Anderson, now 70, remembers requesting a shaving waiver when he entered the service in 1975, allowing him to bypass the military's requirements for men to be clean-shaven. For him and other Black airmen, the waivers became a symbol of unity. "It was seen as an identifier of solidarity with other Black GIs having that shaving waiver,"  Anderson said. The military as a wholebegan issuing these waiversin the 1970s, with the Navy taking the strongest approach in 1970 to allow the elective wearing of beards to address medical conditions. But the policies of the different branches have changed multiple times since then. Now, a new U.S. Marine Corps grooming policy that affects people with curly or coarse hair is drawing ire from critics who say it targets Black men. The guidance, issued in March, states that a diagnosis of pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB, a skin condition more commonly known as razor bumps or ingrown hairs, could lead to a service member's expulsion from the branch if the issue persists. The U.S. Air Force alsoupdated its guidanceon PFB earlier this year, saying shaving waivers will expire 90 days after an airman's next annual health assessment. But the requirements for those who may still qualify for a waiver remain unclear. Thecondition affectsup to 60% of Black men, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, a far higher rate than for any other group. Anderson said he sees the move as yet another example of "ongoing attacks" on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the federal government. "It's mostly soldiers of color who are impacted by this," he said. "I don't see this as a productive and effective means of retaining and recruiting troops." The latest policy change under Brig. Gen. David R. Everly marks areversal from a 2022 policythat barred Marines from being kicked out of the service solely for the skin condition. In the last three years, service members were able to obtain temporary or permanent shaving waivers, or "no shave chits," once it was determined that their PFB couldn't be treated by topical medications. Dermatologists around the country who treat people with the condition say the latest policy change seems to be unnecessary. "This is so targeted and intentional," said Chris Adigun, a board-certified dermatologist based in North Carolina. PFB "can affect only the way hair follicles appear," said Adigun, "and does not affect the body systemically in any way." Under the new guidance, which the message says will best position Marines for "warfighting capability," service members with PFB are now required to undergo a medical evaluation within 90 days. If their condition does not improve within a year under a four-part treatment plan, they could be separated from the branch at the discretion of their commanding officer. Critics, however, call it an outdated policy rooted in discrimination. An active military dermatologist, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said the move has "nothing to do with readiness." "On its face it's a racist policy, because this is a condition that impacts African Americans and other people of color predominantly just by the nature of hair growth on the face," they said, adding that it also "creates a huge administrative burden on a patient." It remains unclear how many Marines would be affected by the policy as the branch said it does not track how many members have shaving exemptions for PFB. Black service members make up 18% of all active-duty Marines,according to datafrom the Marine Corps Gazette, a professional journal by members of the service. The branch itself does not keep racial demographic data on its members, a Marines spokesperson said. Military leaders say the change returns service members to grooming standards that ensure "maximum war readiness," according to the mandate. "Our priority is to ensure the health and resilience of our Marines while maintaining our warfighting capability," said Maj. Jacoby Getty, a spokesman for the Corps' Manpower & Reserve Affairs, an office tasked with acquiring and retaining talent. "These updates ensure consistency in the management of medical conditions while reinforcing our commitment to returning Marines to full compliance whenever possible." Adigun noted the policy's history as a point of contention dating back to the 1970s, which led to social uproar among Black service members who had long argued against its efficacy. U.S. military leaders have long maintained that service members need to be clean-shaven, both to maintain a professional appearance and to ensure the proper fit of airtight gas masks, despite little evidence that links PFB or facial hair to poor gas mask fit. Astudy publishedin the Journal of Military Medicine in 2021 found little evidence that short beards interfered with the seal of a gas mask. A study in 2018found that pilotswith beards more than a foot long were able to maintain an airtight seal on their masks in a simulated cabin depressurization test. Medical experts say PFB is improved by not shaving at all or shaving with clippers that don't give a close shave, which allows the hair to remain above the skin surface after it is cut. Another option is laser hair removal. But for many Marines, the military dermatologist said, this permanent option for what many see as a temporary job is not a viable choice. Ananalysis publishedin the journal Military Medicine also found a link between shaving waivers and delays in promotion that disproportionately affects Black service members. This latest Marine policy change comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in March ordered amilitarywide reviewof physical fitness and grooming standards. "We must remain vigilant in maintaining the standards that enable the men and women of our military to protect the American people and our homeland as the world's most lethal and effective fighting force," Hegseth said when announcing the order. The Department of Defense declined a request to comment on the latest guidelines. But, according to South Carolina-based dermatologist Lauren Ploch, standards that require clean-shaven faces are "rooted in institutional racism" because they single out PFB for strict treatment. She questions why there are not similar rules for other skin conditions like cystic acne or dissecting cellulitis, which affects the scalp. There are regulations fortreating these issues, but no specific policies that could lead to a service member's expulsion. "If one of these conditions is not a disqualifier, then PFB shouldn't be either," Ploch said. Dara Spearman, a board-certified dermatologist based in Indiana, said the potential for dismissal under the policy is "dramatic." "Given the historic interactions between Black Americans and organizations with regard to grooming habits and requirements," Spearman said, "it seems there may be other factors at play than whether a gas mask fits." Anderson, citing his years of service, said he believes he's well within his rights to challenge things he disagrees with. "I've always been a patriot," Anderson said, "but being a patriot also makes one qualified to question what's going on — not just to blindly accept and go along with everything."

byRoger Fisher

in

May 24, 2025

Dermatologists say Marines' tightened shaving waiver could hurt Black members' careers

Dermatologists say Marines' tightened shaving waiver could hurt Black members' careers Air Force veteran Ed Anderson can't recal...

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Police officer facing wrongful death lawsuit was given 'valor' awards for fatal shooting

Police officer facing wrongful death lawsuit was given 'valor' awards for fatal shooting

A former Kansas police officer whom prosecutors declined to charge inthe 2022 shooting death of a manwith a known history of mental health crises was twice presented top "valor" awards by law enforcement groups for his actions during the fatal encounter. The ceremonies stand in sharp contrast to the federal wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Brandon Lynch, 27, a year ago. One of the commendations, a "Gold Award for Uncommon Valor" presented by the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police on May 1, 2024, was handed out two days before the family filed its suit against the officer, Conner Thompson, and the city of Olathe. In the complaint filed in the District of Kansas, Lynch's family claims Thompson "unnecessarily escalated the situation" and applied an "unreasonable use of excessive force" that failed to consider proper crisis intervention training. Details of the awards — the first of which was given to Thompson by the Kansas City Metropolitan Area Chiefs and Sheriffs Association in November 2023 — have not been previously reported. A detailed review of the awards shows that Thompson and his then-partner were honored for what police say occurred on the night Lynch was fatally shot, New Year's Eve in 2022. Specifically, the Metropolitan Area Chiefs and Sheriffs Association said the officers "responded to a disturbance" at a home where a woman called to say her brother had assaulted her. Once at the home, the officers told the woman to wait outside while they entered and were confronted by the man, who was armed with a knife and Taser, the group's narrative of events said. When the man "continued to be aggressive" and did not obey orders, Thompson's partner attempted to use his department-issued Taser on him, but it was "ineffective," the narrative said. "The suspect defied Thompson's commands and advanced towards both officers," the narrative said. "Recognizing the suspect was in close proximity of the officers, Thompson fired his handgun at the suspect, striking him." "During a tense situation, Thompson had the wherewithal to conduct life-saving measures," the narrative added. The version of events offered by the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police was similar. Neither narrative mentioned Lynch by name nor explained that a dispatcher had relayed to officers that Lynch was exhibiting a mental health crisis, as his sister had explained when she called 911. Nor did the narratives note that officers had had prior encounters with him at the home, including one time in which Thompson was in a "physical altercation" with Lynch, according to the Johnson County prosecutors who investigated the shooting and determined "the officer properly used deadly force in this incident." A review of the "valor" awards given to other officers by the Metropolitan Area Chiefs and Sheriffs Association that year show they were for actions such as saving suicidal people, helping a gunshot victim and assisting an infant who stopped breathing because of a respiratory virus. The law firm for Lynch's family, Cannezzaro Marvel LLC in Kansas City, Missouri, declined to comment about the suit or the officer being awarded for his actions on the night Lynch died. The president of the Metropolitan Area Chiefs and Sheriffs Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Dennis Shaw, the executive director of the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, said in an email that "the officer was cleared by the District Attorney," and the narrative the association shared "was presented to us for consideration." While the honor given to Thompson stood out in the awards ceremony, it's not unheard of for officers to receive commendations related to fatal shooting incidents. Narene Stokes, whoseson, Ryan, was fatally shotby Kansas City, Missouri, police in 2013, recalled feeling "baffled, angry and confused" when she learned the officers involved in his death were recognized with awards by a local police board for their actions. The award, however, waslater rescinded. "The officers want to say they feared for their life — and that's why they get an award?" Stokes said. In Lynch's case, police bodycam video was made public when Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe announced that his office would not be charging the officer. "Lynch took the actions that caused his death," he said in May 2023, and "the officers reacted to the aggressiveness of Lynch throughout that episode." In their lawsuit, the family says Lynch repeatedly told officers to "get out," and informed them he was trying to clean to avoid a new plague. He then shouted, "I'm not going anywhere near you," and went back to his bedroom and closed the door. The officers then followed him and opened his bedroom door. Thompson "immediately pulled out a taser weapon and aimed it at Brandon after opening the door despite Brandon not making any threats," according to the suit, adding that the officer then "pulled his firearm and aimed it at Brandon less than fifteen seconds after pulling his taser," in actions that could be seen in the bodycam video. Officers then told Lynch he was under arrest as he became "increasingly agitated and asked the officers to leave his house multiple times," according to the suit. When the officers "started to back down the hallway," Lynch followed them to an upstairs living room, where the situation escalated. "Throughout the interaction, the officers escalated the situation by pointing guns, shouting commands, and threatening Brandon," the suit said. "Crisis intervention training teaches that these tactics exacerbate the situation and are counterproductive in addressing a person in mental health crisis." The officers stood at the threshold of the home's front door, roughly 15 feet from Lynch, while he paced the living room. In the bodycam video, Lynch says, "What did I do? I didn't do anything. Get out of my house," as officers repeatedly tell him to put down his weapon and warn him if he takes one step forward, "I will shoot you." A Taser is used on Lynch in the living room, but he appears unaffected. Lynch again says "get out of my house," taking a couple of steps forward, at which point an officer opens fire, the video shows. The family's lawsuit says that additional officers arrived at that time. "Thompson was not in danger at any point during the moments leading up to the time that he took Brandon's life," the family's complaint says, and he "was not in danger of being harmed by Brandon because [Thompson] was standing at a safe distance outside of the striking zone and the front door was a barrier between" the officers and Lynch. "Despite other officers being on the scene while these events unfolded," the suit says, "none fired their weapon except" for Thompson. An Olathe city spokesman referred questions to the Olathe Police Department, which declined to comment "due to the ongoing civil litigation." Thompson resigned from Olathe last year after five years on the force and waslater hiredby another police department in Washington state. He did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment. The city filed a motion to have the family's suit dismissed, saying Thompson's "use of lethal force was objectively reasonable under the circumstance presented" and he "is entitled toqualified immunity," a doctrine that can protect government officials, including police, from civil litigation when acting in their official duties. Last fall, however, U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson ruled that "these allegations, accepted as true, state a plausible claim that Officer Thompson recklessly or deliberately brought about the need to use deadly force." Now, the judge has ordered both the city and the family to reach a resolution in the case, otherwise it could go to trial later this year, court records show. The family is seeking unspecified damages for pain and suffering as well as costs associated with Lynch's death, including funeral expenses and medical care provided. In a statement after the family's suit was filed in May 2024, its lawyers said "the use of deadly force in a situation where non-lethal options were viable is not only unacceptable, but also a clear violation of Brandon Lynch's rights." "This unfortunate event highlights the urgent need for reform in how law enforcement handles interactions with mentally ill individuals," the lawyers said.

byRoger Fisher

in

May 24, 2025

Police officer facing wrongful death lawsuit was given 'valor' awards for fatal shooting

Police officer facing wrongful death lawsuit was given 'valor' awards for fatal shooting A former Kansas police officer whom prosecu...

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George Floyd’s legacy under siege as racial justice efforts lose ground, memorials removed

George Floyd's legacy under siege as racial justice efforts lose ground, memorials removed

Five years after her nephew's murder, what Angela Harrelson misses most is hearing her phone buzz and knowing he was calling. "He would call me and say, 'What's up, auntie? Just calling to check on you,' " Harrelson said. "And it made me feel so good." Harrelson affectionately refers to her nephew by his middle name, Perry, but the world knows him as George Floyd. In 2020, millions watched in horror as former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd beneath his knee for 9 minutes and 29 seconds.The murder sparked a massive outpouring of griefand anger as protesters took to the streets with handcrafted signs echoing some of his last words, "I can't breathe."Amid violent clashes with police, they pressed on.Artists adorned their cities with his image, a sign of resolve and the impact of his death. The intersection where Floyd took his last breaths was transformed from a gas station and corner store into a living memorial. Now that the chaos and media frenzy have settled, Harrelson visits the area − known as George Floyd Square − several times a week. "It's a safe haven for me to sit and reflect on everything that has happened," she said. "And that includes the pain and the heartache." The future of the square has been a subject of heated debate. Across the nation, othermemorials honoring Floydand the Black Lives Matter movementhave been removed,vandalized,orfallen into disrepair. As symbols of Floyd's place in history have faded, so too havehopes for federal police reform,commitments to diversity, equity and inclusionandAmerican optimism about the future of racial justice. Just days before the anniversary of his death, May 25, the Department of Justice announcedit is ending investigations and retracting findings of wrongdoing against the Minneapolis Police Departmentas well as those in Phoenix; Oklahoma City; Memphis, Tennessee; Trenton, New Jersey; Mount Vernon, New York; and Louisiana. Family members and advocates are determined not to let the losses and the nation's shifting political winds erase Floyd's legacy. Many say preserving the last vestiges of the protest movement is a key part of continuing to push for change and recover from the deep pain caused by his death. Some say it's a battle cry − a time to retrench and recommit to the fight. "The country is actually regressing," said Aba Blankson, a spokesperson for the NAACP. "So as we say, the anniversary is not about grief or recovering from the trauma. It is about purpose and being dedicated and recommitting to ensuring that the country is open to diversity, equity and inclusion, that the country continues to maintain equal protection under the law, that the country teaches truth in history, that the country is not diminishing the rights of women and immigrants." Since Floyd's murder, the intersection of 38th and Chicago has become a sacred space. Two iconic murals were painted at the site, including a blue-and-yellow tribute on the side of the Cup Foods where Floyd was accused of spending a counterfeit $20 bill, prompting the fatal police response. The community installed a raised-fist sculpture at the center of the intersection and headstones engraved with the names of Black people killed by police. Residents erected barricades to keep traffic − and police − out until their demands for reform were met and to "figure out how to build this space as one of healing," according to Ashley Tyner, co-director of "The People's Way," a documentary film about the square. In 2021,the city removed the barricadesand began to formulate a long-term plan for the area. Officials spent countless hours consulting with community members, in part, because one of the city's busiest bus routes runs through the square. "We knew as a city staff, as a community, that we needed to be incredibly thoughtful about this sacred space to create a vision that would be endured and appreciated for really decades and centuries," Alexander Kado, the city's senior project manager, said. They ended up with a proposal for a flexible, open layout that would allow traffic to flow unless officials closed part of the intersection for a special event. The plan would preserve space for Floyd's family to erect a permanent memorial in the spot where he took his last breaths and find someone to take over the former Speedway gas station, a property purchased by the city and dubbed thePeoples' Way. But the Minneapolis City Council rejected the plan and proposed that the city explore another option instead: establishing a pedestrian mall that would permanently close one leg of the intersection. Then-Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed that proposal. Thecouncil overrode Frey's veto in February. Council member Robin Wonsley said allowing traffic would "erase" the history of the square. "The way in which the city is approaching that is saying, essentially, 'Let's run buses up and down that same street. Let's run buses and cars across the very place where George Floyd was killed.' And that, for me, is a signal of erasure,"Wonsley saidduring one city council meeting. But Andrea Jenkins, who represents the area and supports the city's plan, said residents around the square want vehicle traffic. She pointed to a survey by the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs at the University of Minnesota that found about70% of residents in the surrounding neighborhoods preferred full transportation access in the square. For now, the fate of the square remains in limbo. A final decision won't be made for months and construction likely won't be complete until at least 2027. Jenkins told USA TODAY she wants the space to be one where businesses, public transit and a national memorial to victims of police brutality can coexist. "I would like it to be a space that honors the art and the artifacts that have been left at George Floyd Square, but also as a space for new work to be presented." People from around the world come to the square, leaving behind flowers, balloons, signs and artwork. Residents like Leesa Kelly have stepped up to serve as caretakers and archivists of these "offerings." Kelly, executive director ofMemorialize the Movement,said she was particularly moved by murals painted on the plywood businesses used to board up their windows during the 2020 protests. As demonstrations died down, she began to worry, "Will businesses keep them? Will they throw them out?" So Kelly began collecting the murals and eventually amassed over 1,000 pieces. She said they depict many facets of Floyd's life, including one that features his daughter and another a message from his partner. "It's just been really beautiful to see how we've been able to take something so tragic and still be able to build something powerful and impactful for our community," she said. The murals have been exhibited in universities and gallery spaces around the Twin Cities. Art from the square has also begun to make its way across the country. Rashad Shabazz, a historical cultural geographer at Arizona State University, helped bring hundreds of signs, posters and artwork from the protests to Phoenix in 2024. Shabazz, a former Minneapolis resident, said thousands of people, including members of the Floyd family,visited the Arizona State University Art Museum exhibit, which he called "one of the most important legacies" to come from the movement. He said it is crucial for institutions like museums to put the items on display − whether they be carefully painted portraits or messages hastily scrawled on pizza boxes. "The offerings are stories, and preservation of them is a preservation of the story," he said. "And in doing that, we add those stories to our collective understanding of the world we live in, that moment in time. And they serve as lessons. If we listen to them, we might learn something." While some work to preserve memories of the movement,others have found symbolic and substantive ways to try and erase it. One by one, memorials to Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement have come down in recent years, including inWashington;Des Moines;Indianapolis;Salt Lake City; Santa Barbara, California;andAsheville, North Carolina. A pushjump-started by Floyd's deathto remove or rename Confederate memorials has slowed to a trickle. In early 2024, only two had been removed, compared to nearly 170 in 2020, according to a recent report from the Southern Poverty Law Center. More than 2,000 Confederate symbols remain, and some have recently been restored, includingthe Confederate names of two Virginia schoolsthat were changed during the racial reckoning of 2020. After theSupreme Court in 2023 struck down race-based affirmative action admissions at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the precedent has had far-reaching implications for the racial justice movement. Citingthe decision, PresidentDonald Trumpwiped out diversity initiatives across the federal governmentand urgedschoolsandbusinessesto follow suitdespite pledges made after Floyd's murder. In Minnesota, leaders arebracing for the possibility that Trump will pardon Chauvin, who is serving concurrentstateandfederal prison sentencesfor murder, violating Floyd's constitutional rights and other crimes. Trump has said heisn't consideringa federal pardon for Chauvin, though aides haveraised the idea. Changing the narrative:How Trump 2.0 is reframing George Floyd and the 2020 protests The DOJ announced in Januarythat it had reached a court-enforceable agreement known asa consent decreewith the city of Minneapolis to make systemic changes to its police department after a federal investigation sparked by Floyd's murder founda pattern of civil rights violations. Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the department's Civil Rights Division, announced on May 21 thatthe government would abandon those effortsand retract the department's findings in Minneapolis and a host of other cities, including Louisville, Kentucky, wherethe 2020 police killing of Breonna Taylor drew outrage. Amid all the changes, Americans are feeling increasingly pessimistic about gains in racial justice, if any, since 2020 and the possibility that Black Americans will ever have equal rights, according to Kiana Cox, a senior researcher at Pew Research Center. "The majority of Americans think that the attention that the country paid to race as a result of George Floyd's murder was a watershed moment," she said. "But when we asked the more specific question, 'Do you think that attention actually resulted in changes to Black people's lives?' we get a different story." In 2023, 40% of respondents said such changes had happened. But in 2025,just 27% said the same. Still, Harrelson said the current political climate can't erase her nephew's lasting legacy. "It has not changed how people feel about what happened five years ago. They still carry that pain. They still carry that weight," she said. Harrelson said she sees Floyd's impact each time she visits the square, where dozens of their family members and thousands of others will soon gather for athree-day festival in his honor. The annual celebration will include live music, a church service, and community discussions about racism, police reform and grief called "Perry Talks." But Harrelson's favorite part is taking a quiet moment to think about her nephew during the candlelight vigil. "I hope I'm doing right by his legacy the best I can," she said. Contributing:Phillip M. Baileyand Savannah Kuchar This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:George Floyd legacy under siege as reform stalls, memorials disappear

byRoger Fisher

in

May 24, 2025

George Floyd’s legacy under siege as racial justice efforts lose ground, memorials removed

George Floyd's legacy under siege as racial justice efforts lose ground, memorials removed Five years after her nephew's murder, wha...

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