Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of all charges, but this is not the end of the trials for the death of George Floyd. The cases are ongoing against three other officers involved in the deadly detention.
The three agents – Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane – face two charges: aiding and abetting a second-degree murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years, although Reuters reports that the guidelines on sentences reduce this to 15 years; and aiding and abetting second-degree homicide, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years.
Hennepin County Prison
After a jury found Chauvin guilty on Tuesday the three accounts faced the death of George Floyd: second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree homicide — Ben Crump, Floyd’s family’s attorney, described the case as “a turning point in American history for accountability in law enforcement. “Prosecutors will then present their case against the other three officers, whose joint trial is scheduled to begin on August 23.
All three have been released from prison after sending $ 750,000. All the agents were fired of the Minneapolis Police Department a few days after Floyd’s death.
Lane, who was 37 at the time, and Keung, 26, were the first to approach Floyd while sitting in his car, after receiving a call about a man who allegedly used a fake bill. of $ 20. Lane approached the driver’s side, where Floyd was sitting, and as they talked, he pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Floyd’s window until Floyd put his hands behind the wheel. Lane put the gun back in its holster, prosecutors said.
Lane ordered Floyd to leave his car and handcuffed him, telling him he was under arrest for having counterfeit money. Prosecutors said that after Keung and Lane tried to walk with Floyd to the police squad car, he stiffened and fell to the ground, telling officers he did not resist but did not want to get into the back seat and which was claustrophobic.
At that time, according to prosecutors, agents Chauvin and Thao arrived.
Chauvin, 44, was the tallest of the four officers and had been in the police force for nearly 20 years. Thao, then 34, had rejoined the force in 2012 after being fired as a rookie in 2009. He had previously been the subject of a lawsuit for excessive force, for which the victim received a settlement of 25,000. dollars.
Officers tried to get Floyd into a police car, as Floyd, with his hands handcuffed on his back, repeatedly told them he could not breathe.
Chauvin then dragged Floyd to the ground in a scene that has since been seen millions of times mobile video captured by teenage Darnella Frazier. As Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck, Kueng held Floyd’s back and Lane grabbed his legs.
Floyd said repeatedly, “I can’t breathe” and yelled for his mother.
Thao watched as the other three officers contained Floyd. Prosecutors say he was concerned about the number of passers-by who had gathered and stood between officers and citizens. When a spectator came out of the curb, asking Chauvin to get down from Floyd, prosecutors said Thao “put his hands on the citizen to hold him back.”
One of these spectators, Donald Williams, took a stand during the first day of Chauvin’s trial, testifying that while Thao ordered the spectators to stay behind, he told them, “That’s what drugs do to you.”
Williams said Thao “controlled people, he controlled me” and added, “He was the guy who let me continue while he continued.”
Prosecutors also said that at one point, while holding Floyd’s legs, Lane asked, “Should we shoot him?” Chauvin replied, “No, stay where we got it.”
Lane said, “I’m concerned about aroused delirium or whatever,” referring to a controversial phrase often cited by police and paramedics to describe a condition sometimes associated with drug use. Chauvin replied, “That’s why we have it in our bellies.”
About 8 minutes and 24 seconds from the video, according to prosecutors, Floyd stopped moving. Lane asked, “Do you want to roll it?” Keung checked for dust on Floyd’s wrist and said, “I didn’t find any.”