FACING JUSTICE
Officers Tou Thao, J Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane GUILTY on all counts relating to George Floyd’s arrest death
THREE former Minneapolis police officers were found guilty by a federal jury Thursday in the May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd.
J Alexander Keung and Tou Thao were accused of failing to intervene as Floyd repeatedly stated that he couldn’t breathe while former officer Derek Chauvin has his knee on the man’s neck for over nine minutes.
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The two, along with Thomas Lane, were also charged with violating Floyd’s rights for not administering aid while he was being restrained.
Floyd’s death was captured on bystander video that went viral, sparking global unrest.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, along with other members of the Floyd family’s legal team, called the decision “another important chapter in our journey for justice,”
“These officers tried to devise any excuse that could let them wash the blood from their hands, but following these verdicts, George’s blood will forever stain them,” said Crump in a statement.
“Today’s guilty verdicts should serve as the guiding example of why police departments across America should expand and prioritize instruction on an officer’s duty to intervene and recognize when a fellow officer is using excessive force.”
However, Crump added that more needs to be done within police departments as the “existing policies were not on trial.”
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“Nothing will bring George Floyd back to his loved ones, but with these verdicts, we hope that the ignorance and indifference toward human life shown by these officers will be erased from our nation’s police departments,”
The jury was asked if Floyd’s restraint led to his death, to which they answered yes, meaning the former cops can face longer sentences if the judge chooses to.
Keung, Lane and Thao will also face a second trial in connection to Floyd’s death on June 13 in Hennepin County District Court for charges of aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter.
"The Floyd family will have to relive the traumatic disregard for George’s life once again in June, when these officers will stand trial in state court. We hope, and we expect, that these officers will once again be held accountable for their lack of humanity," said Crump.
Chauvin has already been convicted in state and federal court, pleading guilty in US District Court in December for violating Floyd’s constitutional rights but has yet to be sentenced for that crime.
Last April, he was convicted and sentenced to over 22 years in prison. He is currently being held in the Minnesota Correctional Facility.
The trial for the three remaining officers began on January 24. Prosecutors argued that Floyd could have survived if the officers chose to intervene.
“It wasn’t a split-second use of force like a gunshot,” said Assistant US Attorney Manda Sertich during closing arguments. “Not 30 seconds, not a minute, several minutes - 539 seconds.”
However, the officers’ attorneys argued their clients didn’t refuse to help Floyd. “Just because something has a tragic ending doesn’t mean it’s a crime,” said Thao’s lawyer.
Keung and Lane’s lawyers argued that their clients were subordinate to Chauvin, who was a veteran in the force. “We don’t need commanders to tell us that if someone has seniority over you, you listen to them,” said Lane’s attorney, Earl Gray. “It’s common sense.”
Darnella Frazier, 18, recorded the cell phone video of Floyd's last moments outside the Cup Foods store.
“I didn’t see George Floyd resist at all,” she told the court, adding that Chauvin remained on top of the man. Frazier testified she saw blood from Floyd’s nose as he became “unconscious.”
The 12-person jury - four men and eight women - deliberated for about 13 hours before coming back with the guilty verdict on Thursday.
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