Former Minneapolis police officer found guilty of aiding and abetting manslaughter for preventing witnesses from approaching George Floyd as another cop held the Black man on the ground with his knee at his neck.
Tou Thao’s conviction is the most recent one involving the four former cops who were not engaged in Floyd’s slaying on May 25, 2020, which inspired a global campaign against police brutality.
Thao was found guilty on May 2 by Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill in Minnesota of second-degree aiding and abetting manslaughter. Prior to his sentencing on August 7th, he will stay in detention.
“The conviction of Tou Thao is historic and the right outcome,” state Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement. “It brings one more measure of accountability in the tragic de@th of George Floyd. Accountability is not justice, but it is a step on the road to justice.”
According to body-worn police camera footage, Thao prevented spectators from intervening while Derek Chauvin kneeled into Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes.
He may be heard stating, “This is why you don’t do drugs, kids,” in police video. He can also be heard instructing the woman who requests to check Floyd’s pulse to “back off” when she asks to check his pulse.
Judge Cahill found that Thao “actively encouraged” Chauvin’s restraint despite knowing that it might put Floyd’s life in peril” and “made a conscious decision to actively engage in Floyd’s de@th.”
The gist of it, according to Cahill, was that Tou Thao did not want to put up the effort necessary to follow the correct protocol. As a result, George Floyd passed away.
The four men’s trials and hearings in state courts, which spanned the three years following Floyd’s murder, came to an end with Thao receiving the last sentence of the four.
Last year, it was planned to hold a joint trial with J Alexander Kueng, another officer who was present at the incident. However, Kueng entered a guilty plea, and Thao withdrew his right to a trial, leaving Cahill to reach a decision.
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In 2021, Chauvin was found guilty of manslaughter and second-degree murder. Additionally, he admitted guilt to federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights and is currently incarcerated for 20 years.
In a jury trial, federal charges against Kueng, Thao, and another former officer, Thomas Lane, resulted in convictions. Each of them is incarcerated for two to three and a half years.
In addition, Lane admitted to encouraging second-degree manslaughter. He received a three-year prison term. For the same charges, Kueng received a three-and-a-half-year sentence. Both men will serve these sentences along with their federal penalties.
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