J. Alexander Kueng, a former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on George Floyd's back during the murder in May 2020 that caused a public outrage, was given a 3 1/2 year jail term for manslaughter on Friday.
From a low-security federal prison in Ohio, Kueng, who is already serving a federal term for violating Floyd's civil rights, participated in the sentencing hearing in the Hennepin County (Minnesota) Courthouse by video.
George Floyd Killing
George Floyd was referred to as a "crime victim" on Friday by Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank, who said that Kueng, who "swore an oath to defend life" upon becoming a police officer, "didn't obey" the pledge on the day Floyd died.
During the hearing, Kueng opted not to speak. On October 23, Kueng entered a guilty plea to a state count of encouraging second-degree homicide. The day before the start of jury selection in his trial, the plea was entered.
Floyd passed away on May 25, 2020, after former Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for 9 1/2 minutes as Floyd continuously complained that he was having trouble breathing and ultimately became limp. The murder, which was seen on camera by a bystander, led to protests throughout the globe as part of a larger discussion about racial injustice.
Per Fox News, Kueng knelt on Floyd's back while he was being restrained. Floyd's legs were restrained by then-Officer Thomas Lane, while Tou Thao, who was also an officer at the time, prevented onlookers from getting involved. The cops were all discharged and charged on both a state and federal level.
As part of his plea deal, Kueng acknowledged that he had Floyd's torso in his hands, that he was aware from experience and training that holding a handcuffed person in a prone posture presented a significant danger, and that Floyd's confinement was inappropriate given the situation.
Floyd was a victim of a crime, and the prosecution "focused on the police," according to Matthew Frank, who oversaw the case for the Minnesota attorney general's office, throughout the hearing. The case, he continued, was not intended to be a more comprehensive assessment of policing, but he hoped it would serve as a reminder that police officers cannot treat individuals in crisis "as non-people or second-class citizens."
Court to Determine Charges Against Two Other Minneapolis Officers
Thomas Plunkett, Kueng's lawyer, criticized the lack of leadership and training at the Minneapolis Police Department for George Floyd's murder on Friday, ABC reported. He alleged that the police chief at the time Floyd was slain, Medaria Arradondo, had neglected to put training into place to urge officers to step in when one of their coworkers was acting improperly.
Thao earlier informed Judge Peter Cahill that it "would be lying" to enter a guilty plea, and Kueng's sentencing moves the charges against all of the former cops one step closer to conclusion, while the state case against Thao is still unresolved. Thao's attorneys and the prosecution are coordinating the evidence in his case and submitting prepared closing arguments as part of that procedure. Then Cahill will determine whether or not he is guilty.
The murder charge, which has a potential sentence of 12 1/2 years in jail, will be dismissed if Thao is found guilty. Chauvin is currently serving 22 1/2 years in prison after being found guilty of state murder and manslaughter counts last year. Chauvin also admitted guilt to a federal civil rights offense and received a 21-year sentence. At the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona, he is now completing both of his terms consecutively.
Federal charges against Kueng, Lane, and Thao led to their convictions in February. All three were found guilty of depriving Floyd of his right to medical attention, and Thao and Kueng were also found guilty of failing to act to stop Chauvin from killing Floyd.
Lane, a white man, is incarcerated at a Colorado prison where he is serving a 2 1/2-year federal term. He is concurrently doing a three-year state term. Thao, an American Hmong, received a 3 1/2-year federal sentence while Kueng, a black man, received a three-year term on the federal counts, as per Daily Mail.
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