Floyd's Family Waiting for Justice; Protests Continues on George Floyd's Memorial; Stacey Abrams Message on George Floyd's Memorial Service
LEMON: We will get back to the protesters out on the streets tonight, this time in Brooklyn and Jason Carroll. Jason, what are you seeing out there?</s>JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was really a remarkable moment, Don. What we saw was Chief Maddrey, that's the man you see there in the white shirt. And it was a very tense moment as a little more than a hundred of these protesters came in contact with the line of police officers. And Chief Maddrey who you see right there, basically reached out and spoke to them. And at one point started shaking their hands and really deescalated what was becoming a very tense situation. And it's really once of the first times, Don, since we've been out here where we've seen police engage some of these protesters in this way. If you take a look around you can see a number of the protesters still gathered here on this street in Brooklyn. And again, it came to a point where the officers were not going to move. They were not going to let these protesters continue. These protesters had been marching peacefully all night. But, again, we're now just a few hours past curfew. But again, it was an incredible moment that you still see now, Chief Maddrey, they are still talking, till engaging with some of these young men and young women out here and talking to them. But again, the most remarkable moment was when he reached out and started shaking their hands. And it's important to how this, you some of if happening now, these officers who are trying to engage with the community. And conversely, some of those who are out here demonstrating trying to -- trying to reach out and communicate with some of these officers here. It was just really an incredible moment and one I thought was important to share with you and your audience.</s>LEMON: No. Right you are because we need more moments like that where there's de-escalation instead of escalation, Jason. I think that you're right on. And if the police are doing something right and the protesters are as well, I think we should get that on television. Jason Carroll is in Brooklyn with us, the site of an incredible scene. A number of them playing out all over the country. We're going to get back to him, to Alex, to Shimon and to others who are out there for us this evening. Massive protests across the country on the day of George Floyd's memorial service. Family, friends, community leaders all coming together in Minneapolis to honor the unarmed black man killed in police custody. The service pausing for 8 minutes 46 seconds. That's how long the police officer's knee was on George Floyd's neck. His brother joins me now, Philonise Floyd, and the attorney for the family, Ben Crump. Gentleman, good evening, thank you so much.</s>BENJAMIN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR FLOYD FAMILY: Good evening, Don.</s>PHILONISE FLOYD, GEORGE FLOYD'S BROTHER: Good evening.</s>LEMON: Philonise, your words were incredible. It was beautiful to watch. I was honored that I actually was the person who got to cover this. Obviously, it's -- we're so sorry for what happened to your brother and what's happening to your family. But what did today mean to you? Can you explain that?</s>FLOYD: It was a very emotional day. Just, you know, trying to keep my family. Right now, they're emotionally -- like, when I say it's hard, it's hard. You know, I'm trying to keep them together because that was our first time being that close to George. You know, my brother -- it wasn't open, but we knew he was there. And just knowing he was there, it hurt. It hurt a lot.</s>LEMON: You know, there's -- I wondered out loud today, I said out loud I wonder how many of these we don't see. Right? We got to see your brother's memorial. And we're going to see this is a number of home going ceremonies for your brother. And if I will, just on a personal note, you reminded me of February of 2018 when I had to get up and speak about my sister who died. And I kept thinking about that the entire time that you were speaking and just how surreal that was and how I couldn't even -- even given what I do here as an anchor on television every night, I could not imagine having to go through something like this in front of the entire world. I think your family handled this with such dignity and grace. I can't even tell you -- I don't have the words to express the admiration that I have for your family. So, I just -- I've been wanting to say that to you and today I was just full and just thank you and your family for doing what you're doing. Every time this happens to a family, Ben, you know this, they have to live this through the whole world. Their whole lives, their backgrounds, everything as people go over it. It is an incredible and unfair experience for these families. And this family is incredible the way they're dealing with it, Ben.</s>CRUMP: Yes, they are, Don.</s>FLOYD: Yes, sir, thank you. Thank you.</s>LEMON: When you -- the message from Reverend Al Sharpton saying take your knee off our neck and you talked about the idea that there can't be two justice systems, one black America, one for white America. Ben, is George Floyd's death becoming a real catalyst? Do you believe this time it's going to have a huge -- make a huge difference, make some change?</s>CRUMP: I think we have an opportunity, Don. And, you know, you've covered all of these cases and you see every time we get right on the cusp of some change and then somehow it is not delivered. But right now, we have people from across the aisle who have seen what happened to George Floyd for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, Don, and I think they are emotional. We might, just might, if we don't lose this moment, we've got to stay focused, get systematic change where we actually look at police officers that kill all these unarmed people of color and never be held accountable. I mean, the Congress is really talking about the possibility of looking at that because of what happened to his brother.</s>LEMON: Philonise, if I'm -- I just want to take people back to the service, and I want to play this moment. It's from Reverend Al Sharpton. And he talked about asking to talk to your mother about George. Here it is.</s>AL SHARPTON, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK: I said his mother passed. But he was calling for his mother. Talking to Quincy last night, one of his five children. Quincy said, you know, I was thinking maybe he was calling his mother because at the point that he was dying, his mother was stretching her hands out. Saying come on, George. I'll welcome you where the wicked will cease from troubling, where the weary will be at rest. There's a place where police don't put knees on you, George. There's a place that prosecutors don't drag their feet. Maybe his mama said, come on, George.</s>LEMON: What do you think? And does that give you any comfort?</s>FLOYD: It gives me comfort that he's screaming for my mom, but I'm never going to be in comfort until those officers are arrested for first-degree murder, not second-degree, not first -- I mean, not third-degree. That was premeditated, and I want justice.</s>LEMON: A key message in the service was turning this energy into action. I talked to Ben just a moment ago about this. But beyond seeing these officers convicted and as you said first-degree murder, what else would you like to happen on a societal level in this country, Philonise?</s>CRUMP: He didn't hear you. I think you asked, Don, what else does he want to happen --</s>LEMON: To happen in society on a bigger level, societal level in this country.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible).</s>PHILONESE FLOYD, GEORGE FLOYD'S BROTHER: I just want everybody -- I want all cops -- put it this way. I want all cops, everybody that's wearing a badge to understand everybody has human rights. And they are human too. I want everybody who was driving not to be racially profiled. I want people to be accounted by being good people, not bad people. If I don't know you, I shouldn't have to walk up to you and ask you question after question why are you over here in this neighborhood. I'm not a racist guy. I just believe in what's right is right. Wrong is wrong and right is right. When an officer has his knee in my brother's neck, that was wrong. The other officer who had his knee on my brother's back, that was wrong. The other two officers that watched this, they helped. All of that was wrong. I just want justice and I want the society to understand that. Everybody in this world, we have a place. And right now we all need to come together like we are because right now we all are human (ph).</s>LEMON: Thank you both. Thank you, thank you, thank you. That's all I can say, thank you.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Don.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.</s>LEMON: My next guest says -- my next guest says voting is the first step to solving the inequality in this country. Stacey Abrams, next.