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3 former police officers convicted of rights violations in George Floyd killing
Three former Minneapolis police officers have been convicted of violating George Floyd’s civil rights.www.latimes.com
Three former Minneapolis police officers were convicted Thursday of violating George Floyd’s civil rights.
Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane were charged with depriving Floyd of his right to medical care when Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes as the 46-year-old Black man was handcuffed and facedown on the street on May 25, 2020.
Thao and Lane were also charged with failing to intervene to stop Chauvin.
Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back, Lane held his legs and Thao kept bystanders at bay.
Kueng and Lane both said they deferred to Chauvin as the senior officer at the scene. Thao testified that he relied on the other officers to care for Floyd’s medical needs as his attention was elsewhere.
Conviction of a federal civil rights violation that results in death is punishable by life in prison or even death, but such sentences are extremely rare. The former officers will remain free on bond pending sentencing.
Prosecutors told jurors during closing arguments that the three officers “chose to do nothing” as Chauvin squeezed the life out of Floyd. Defense attorneys countered that the officers were too inexperienced, weren’t trained properly and did not willfully violate Floyd’s rights.
All 12 members of the jury — eight women and four men — appeared to be white, although the court has not released demographics such as race or age. A woman who appeared to be of Asian descent was excused Tuesday from the panel without explanation; a man who appeared to be of Asian descent remains as an alternate if one of the current 12 cannot continue.
Lane is white, Kueng is Black and Thao is Hmong American.
That was a sharp contrast to the jury that deliberated the state murder case against Chauvin. That jurors were half white and half nonwhite.
The federal jury pool was selected from people throughout the state, which includes areas much more conservative and less diverse than the Minneapolis area from which Chauvin’s jury was drawn. Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter, and later pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights charge.
Chauvin and Thao went to the scene to help rookies Kueng and Lane after they responded to a call that Floyd used a counterfeit $20 bill at a corner store. Floyd struggled with officers as they tried to put him in a police SUV.
Thao watched bystanders and traffic as Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back and Lane held his legs.
Lane, Kueng and Thao also face a separate trial in June on state charges alleging they aided and abetted murder and manslaughter.
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NBA Bubble Protest Over Shooting Death of Salaythis Melvin
The NBA bubble was the scene of a Black Lives Matter protest Saturday, as protesters were trying to get the attention of athletes who have led the charge in recent months for social justice.www.tmz.com
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George Floyd is denied a posthumous pardon by Texas parole board after approval was recommended last year | CNN
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has reversed its decision to grant George Floyd a posthumous pardon for a 2004 drug conviction, according to a letter obtained by CNN.www.cnn.com
I spent a longer time replying to you than reading the article itself.BRUH this is a distraction!!
and the reason politics and politicians
are all about distractions.. TO HELL WITH PROGRESS!!!
and talk like ECONOMIC JUSTICE....
RIP to GEORGE FLOYD...tho..
but its really just all a waste of fuckin time!!
If you were sworn to uphold the law and didn't stop your friend from breaking the law, yo ass should go straight to jail.If my friend was killing someone, and I stood there and let him do it, people would want to hold me accountable with "why didn't you stop your friend?".
Tou Thao, the last former Minneapolis officer convicted in state court for his role in the killing of George Floyd, has been sentenced to 4 years and 9 months. He spoke at length about growing in his Christian faith, but showed little remorse and denied any responsibility in Floyd's death.
They didn't stab him enough, bitch ass CAC should be dead!DAMN
The job still isn't done though, because he's still alive.I'm surprised it took this long!
DAMN
Right, this should be a celebration.Don't say damn, say YEAH!
Pork chops.