Remaining 2 US officers in George Floyd death sentenced to prison

HOUSTON, Texas 

The remaining two officers in George Floyd’s death were sentenced Wednesday by a federal judge in the US state of Minnesota. 

Tou Thao, the former Minneapolis police officer who kept a crowd of bystanders away as Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd’s neck to the ground with his knee, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

Former MPD officer Alexander Kueng, who helped Chauvin hold Floyd down, received two years behind bars.

Floyd’s girlfriend, Courtney Ross, addressed the men in court during sentencing.

“I will never forget you speaking to onlookers when you said: ‘This is why you don’t do drugs,'” Ross told Thao. “No one deserves to be treated as less. That’s not how Floyd treated others.”

Thao, who is Asian, and Kueng, who is Black, were convicted earlier this year of violating Floyd’s civil rights by failing to provide medical aid and by not intervening as Chauvin pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, as Floyd told them he could not breathe.

All four officers involved in Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020, have now received prison time.

Chauvin, who is white, was convicted by a state jury last year and sentenced to 21 years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to federal charges of violating Floyd’s rights.

Former officer Thomas Lane, who is white, held down Floyd’s legs and was sentenced last week to two and a half years in federal prison.

Thao and Kueng still face state charges of aiding and abetting manslaughter and murder.

Both are scheduled to be tried in January.

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