Final Minneapolis police officer convicted in death of George Floyd
Rachel Schilke
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The last of the four former Minneapolis police officers who faced state charges in the death of George Floyd was convicted on Tuesday.
Tou Thao, 37, was found guilty of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Judge Peter A. Cahill, district court judge for Hennepin County, wrote in a 177-page ruling on Tuesday that Thao broke the law by pushing back bystanders and failed to intervene as his colleagues restrained Floyd, and Derek Chauvin, Thao’s partner that day, knelt on his neck.
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Thao actively discouraged other officers from using a “hobble” device to restrain Floyd’s arms and legs as they were arresting him — a decision that Cahill wrote “would have saved Floyd’s life.” Instead, Thao “encouraged” other officers to maintain their positions and blocked bystanders, including an off-duty firefighter, from rendering medical aid.
“Thao’s actions contravened his training and were objectively unreasonable under the circumstances,” Cahill ruled, citing “overwhelming” evidence in the case, per court filings via the Washington Post.
Thao was convicted last year of violating Floyd’s federal civil rights and is currently serving a 42-month prison sentence. With the state conviction, he could face additional jail time that would run concurrently, instead of consecutively, with his federal sentence.
He faces between 41 and 58 months in prison if convicted on the manslaughter charge, according to sentencing guidelines read last year. Cahill scheduled a sentencing hearing for Aug. 7.
The last state conviction of the officers marks the end of original prosecutions against those responsible for Floyd’s death, with the three-year anniversary approaching on May 25. Officers sought to arrest Floyd after he allegedly passed a counterfeit $20 bill at a local market.
Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder and manslaughter and was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison. He appealed his conviction in January, but the conviction was upheld by the Minnesota Court of Appeals on April 17. Chauvin also pleaded guilty to violating Floyd’s federal civil rights and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, which is being served concurrently with his state sentence.
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The other two former officers, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, also were convicted on federal civil rights charges last year. Kueng and Lane both pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting manslaughter charges.
Kueng is serving 42 months in prison for manslaughter concurrently with his 36-month federal civil rights sentence. Lane is serving 36 months in prison for manslaughter concurrently with a 30-month federal sentence.