George Floyd worked at the same local nightclub as the Minneapolis police officer who was shown on video kneeling on Floyd's neck as he said, "I can't breathe."
Floyd, who died in police custody after his arrest on Monday, would occasionally provide security inside El Nuevo Rodeo club, according to former owner Maya Santamaria, who has since sold the club.
Former officer Derek Chauvin, who has been identified as the man who knelt on Floyd's neck, would provide security outside the venue. Chauvin was arrested and charged Friday with third-degree murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death.
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He was among four officers fired on Tuesday for their involvement in Floyd's detainment. Minneapolis police identified the other three officers as Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng.
Santamaria told NBC News in a phone interview on Friday that Floyd worked at the club until it was sold last year. She said Chauvin worked at the venue as an off-duty officer for the majority of the 17 years she owned it.
She said the building that housed the club was burned in the unrest over Floyd's death that has rocked the Twin Cities for three days straight.
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Although Floyd and Chauvin worked at the nightclub at the same time, Santamaria said she doesn't believe they knew each other since they worked in different areas.
Floyd was a sweet man with a big smile, she recalled.
"He would say, 'Hi boss lady. How you doing tonight?' Real sweet guy, lots of charisma," she said. "He was very beloved in the Latino community and certainly in his community as well."
Juan Antonio Gaytan, a former sound engineer at the club, shared similar sentiments.
"He seemed very friendly. He was always the joking type," Gaytan said, adding that the video of Floyd being detained made him emotional.
"I couldn't finish it," he said. "I believe that the video speaks more than a million words."
A former server, Elizabeth Dominguez, said Floyd was a "friendly and respectful person."
"It's sad," she said, adding that she doesn't believe Chauvin had "that strong of a motive" to keep Floyd pinned to the ground.
"I think they are here to protect us, not to do things like that to us," Dominguez said.
Santamaria said that when she first saw the video, she kept yelling at her phone for Chauvin to let Floyd up.
