April 19, 2024
Almost four years after Floyd’s death, Sylvia Jackson still has not gotten her vehicle back that she loaned her friend the day he was killed by police officers
A woman loaned her car to her friend, George Floyd, on May 25, 2020, and he was in that car when stopped by Minneapolis police officers before being killed by Derek Chauvin.
Almost four years after that tragic incident, Sylvia Jackson still has not gotten her vehicle back, as she was informed recently that it was still being held as “evidence in the active criminal investigation” of Floyd’s death.
According to KSTP, Jackson allowed Floyd to borrow her blue 2001 Mercedes SUV on the day of his death. She still doesn’t have the vehicle in her possession after inquiring about getting it back multiple times over the years. Several trials have taken place that have sent the police officers involved in his killing, Chauvin, Tou Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng, to prison. Yet her Mercedes was still being held as evidence.
As recently as February, when Jackson inquired about the status of having her car returned, a person working at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) texted her, “I’m still working on it.”
“I wasn’t asking for anything else,” Jackson said. “I just wanted my property back.”
The BCA was contacted on April 18 and told the media outlet that they were still holding Jackson’s SUV as “evidence in the active criminal investigation” into the death of Floyd. After agreeing to an on-camera interview, the agency backed out. Later that day, 5 INVESTIGATES was contacted by the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office and told that Jackson would soon be getting her car back.
“Attorney General Ellison has authorized that Ms. Jackson’s car be released to her,” Press Secretary Brian Evans said in a written statement. “While this is a departure from standard evidence-retention processes, we understand the significant burden this presents for Ms. Jackson.”
Evans also said that the Attorney General’s office has been in contact with the BCA and has authorized the release of the vehicle to Jackson. A BCA spokesperson said it will “be able to share specific information with Ms. Jackson about when that will happen soon.”
“I really just wanted my property back,” Jackson said. “My property that I paid for and put my hard work in for.”
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