A fourth police officer, Derek Chauvin, had been convicted in June 2021 of murder and sentenced to twenty-two and a half years of prison by the justice of Minnesota.
Le Monde
Three policemen present at the Fatal Interpellation of George Floyd in 2020 were found guilty on Thursday, February 24 by a federal court not to have intervened to assist African-American, in the process of agonizing under their eyes. The death of George Floyd, filmed and put online, had triggered immense manifestations against racism and police violence in all the United States and beyond, in the summer of 2020.
The Thao Trial, 36, Alexander Kueng 28, and Thomas Lane, 38, judged in Saint Paul, lasted about a month. The jury made its verdict after two days of deliberations.
A fourth police officer, Derek Chauvin, had been convicted in June 2021 of murder and sentenced to twenty-two and a half years of prison by the Justice of Minnesota. It was he who had maintained for a long minute, on May 25, 2020, his knee on George Floyd’s neck, causing his asphyxiation.
Another trial for “complicity of murder”
Alexander Kueng was on George Floyd’s back, and Thomas Lane held his legs. Tu Thao kept the passers-by, shocked, remotely.
Thursday, the three agents were found guilty of not having brought the relief necessary for African-American, which clearly showed signs of vital distress. Thao and Kueng agents were also found guilty of not intervening to dissuade Derek Chauvin from “exercising unreasonable force”.
Thomas Lane, who had suggested twice to put the African American on his side, in the lateral security position, was not targeted by this charge.
The three police officers will also be judged by the Justice of the State of Minnesota, for “complicity of murder”, from the beginning of June.