The Texas state commission responsible for determining the merits of clemency applications has recommended George Floyd, the Black man killed by a Minneapolis police officer in May 2020, receive a full pardon for a 2004 arrest in the state on drug charges, NBC News reports.
All seven members of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted to send the recommendation to Republican Governor Greg Abbott, the final arbiter in the state for clemency grants. It is unknown if Abbott supports the clemency request, which was made by the Harris County Public Defender’s Office in April.
“We lament the loss of former Houstonian George Floyd and hope that his family finds comfort in Monday’s decision,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement. “We do not support the integrity of Mr. Floyd’s conviction and agree these circumstances warrant a posthumous pardon. We urge Governor Abbott to follow the board’s recommendation and grant clemency.”
Floyd was arrested in his hometown of Houston in February 2004 for trying to sell $10 in crack during a police sting. Floyd pleaded guilty and served a ten-month sentence. However, the officer responsible for the sting and Floyd’s arrest, Gerald Goines, was charged with two counts of murder for falsifying information for warrants for a drug raid that led to the deaths of two people and five officers being wounded.