A mural honouring George Floyd erected
at Summit and Lagrange in Toledo was reportedly struck down by lightning and
reduced to rubble on Tuesday. Toledo Fire and Rescue swung into action after
the incident was reported. Toledo police were seen outside the building, which
housed the Mugshots Bar, setting up tape around the bricks that once formed the
artwork.
The mural was created by Toledo
artist David Ross just around a year ago. He had said that the artwork stands as
reminder to never forget what happened on that day in May of 2020.
Also Read | Death, protest, conviction: Timeline of events since George Floyd’s death
The artwork has served as a space
for memorial services for Floyd, including on the first anniversary of his
death.
Sources said that the building
where the mural was made itself is structurally sound that the building’s owner
is working on cleaning up the bricks and tearing down rest of the mural wall.
The city of Toledo released a
statement saying that they were heartbroken to see artist David Ross’s work
collapse and that they will work with the arts commission on planning a new
mural, or help the commission and the artist find a new location.
Also read: Ohio mayor says ‘we may never know’ what destroyed George Floyd’s mural
George Perry Floyd, a Black man,
was murdered by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer from Minneapolis on May
25 who pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes despite Floyd’s
pleas telling the cop that he couldn’t breathe.
The brutal incident was on video
and spread on social media as protests erupted globally against the use of
excessive force by police officers on black suspects and the lack of police
accountability.
Also Read | Neo-Nazi group name scrawled on New York George Floyd statue
The
day after his death, all four police officers involved in Floyd’s death were
sacked. Derek Chauvin, the cop who killed Floyd, was charged with second-degree
murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Chauvin was found
guilty and as been sentenced to twenty-two and a half years in prison.