Relatives of George Floyd, Eric Garner in Mass. to push for Medical Civil Rights Act

Relatives of George Floyd and Eric Garner were at the Massachusetts State House on Thursday to fight for a bill they believe would have saved their loved ones. 

It is called the Medical Civil Rights Act, and they said it would guarantee emergency medical care to anyone experiencing a health crisis during an encounter with law enforcement, including with police.

To Selwyn Jones, who traveled to Massachusetts from South Dakota, the mission is personal. His nephew George Floyd was murdered by a Minnesota police officer, sparking protests across the country. 

“I sat and and I watched my nephew die. You know when you watched that video he was not going to leave there,” Jones said. 

He believes his nephew’s death could have been prevented had he been given medical care at the first sign of distress. 

“He said 'I can’t breathe' 45 times. Yes, this would have made a difference,” Jones said. 

Jones joined families across the country on the State House steps Thursday to voice their support for the bill. Among them was Gwen Carr, whose son Eric Garner died during an apparent chokehold by a New York Police officer. 

“He said he couldn’t breathe over and over. All of our loved ones deserved medical attention they did not get,” Carr said. 

Lawmakers are paying attention. Over the summer, Connecticut became the first state to pass the Medical Civil Rights Act. Supporters hope Massachusetts will follow. 

Marlborough state Sen. Jamie Eldridge stopped by the packed hearing room Thursday to learn more about the bill. 

“I think because it is a new bill, a lot of legislators are still learning about the legislation, but just seeing the turnout here shows what an important issue it is,” Eldridge said. 

The families are hopeful the bill will make it out of committee. They said they will never stop fighting for their loved ones. 

“This is a start, but we want it to be nationwide and eventually become a federal bill,” Carr said.