Editorial Photo Credit: CHOONGKY
According to NBC News, former Minneapolis police officers, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, were convicted of depriving George Floyd of his civil rights while acting under government authority when they failed to give him medical aid. Kueng and Thao, additionally, were convicted of not intervening to stop their fellow officer Derek Chauvin from using excessive force.
Comprised of a 12-person jury with four men and eight women, they officially found the three men guilty of depriving George Floyd of his civil rights due to “showing deliberate indifference to his medical needs” while Derek Chauvin fatally placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes on May 25, 2020.
Additionally, Thao and Kueng were also found guilty of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin, as he ultimately killed Floyd. Lane managed to avoid this additional charge because he testified during the trial that he told Derek Chauvin twice to reposition George Floyd when he restrained him, but Chauvin ignored him.
Thao, Kueng and Lane each face up to life in prison, although such a severe punishment is unlikely. The men are scheduled for trial in June on state charges of aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter.
Source: NBC News