George Floyd: ‘Gentle giant’ with a criminal record who found redemption in religion

People stand in front of a mural of George Floyd in Houston, Texas on June 8, 2020. (Photo by Johannes EISELE / AFP)

HOUSTON (AFP): George Floyd, the 46-year-old African American whose killing by a white police officer transformed him into a global icon of the struggle against racism and police brutality, will be laid to rest Tuesday (June 9) in Houston, the city where he grew up.

Standing at six foot four inches (1.93m), Floyd was known to friends and family as a "gentle giant," a rapper and athlete who suffered runs-in with the law and addiction but who wanted the best for his children.