George Floyd funeral: Joe Biden says he would be ‘so proud’ of his daughter in speech as Houston mayor vows to ban police chokeholds

A private service was held to honour the life of the man who died two weeks ago

George Floyd's private funeral service was held on Tuesday at the Fountain of Praise Church in Houston, Texas, to honour the life of the 46-year-old, whose death at the hands of former Minneapolis police officers ignited worldwide protests over racial injustices and police brutality.

Former Vice President Joe Biden was one of the speakers for the service, and his message was shared over video for all in attendance. During his speech, he told Mr Floyd's daughter Gianna that the father would be "so proud" of how she's handled the situation.

"When there is justice for George Floyd, we will truly be on our way to racial justice for all in America. Then, Gianna, your daddy will have changed the world," Mr Biden said. He met with Gianna and the rest of her family on Monday, a move not done by President Donald Trump. Mr Trump has yet to publicly say something on Tuesday about Mr Floyd's funeral service.

The service also included performances from Grammy singer Ne-Yo, who got emotional when singing a rendition of Boyz II Men's "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye".

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner vowed during the funeral service to sign an executive order this week that would ban chokeholds and other strangleholds used by police. This move is one of many pushed by protesters in cities across America to address police reform.

The mayor also declared 9 June "George Perry Floyd Day" in honour of the man.

Reverend Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist, gave a powerful eulogy at the end of the service, calling it not a "tragedy" but a "crime".

"This was not just a tragedy, It was a crime," the reverend said.

Later, he targetted the president with his words and said all Mr Trump cared about was "bringing in the military" to address protests. "(Donald Trump) has not said one word of 8 minutes and 46 seconds of police murder against George Floyd," Mr Sharpton added.