Former police officer pleads guilty to death of George Floyd

Another former Minneapolis police officer has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd.

In exchange for J Alexander Kueng’s guilty plea, one count of aiding and abetting second-degree murder will be dismissed just as jury selection is about to begin.

Kueng is the second official to plead guilty to state charges. Thomas Lane earlier pleaded guilty to the same charge. Their former colleague Du Tao still faces trial this week.

The three have already been convicted on federal charges of willfully violating the civil rights of Floyd, who is black. Lane was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in the federal case. Kueng was sentenced to three years in prison and Thao to three-and-a-half years, but the sentences were too light for some of Floyd’s family members and activists.

Mr. Floyd, 46, died on May 25, 2020, after white police officer Derek Chauvin repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe and pinned him to the ground with his knee on his neck.

The killing, captured on video by a bystander, sparked protests against racial injustice in Minneapolis and around the world.

Kueng and Lane helped restrain Mr. Floyd, who was handcuffed. Kueng knelt on his back and Lane held his leg. During the nine-minute restriction, Thao prevented bystanders from intervening.

Kueng’s plea calls for three-and-a-half years in prison, but the final decision will be up to a judge. Lane pleaded guilty to the state charges and was sentenced to three years in prison, which runs concurrently with the federal sentence.

Chauvin was convicted last year of state murder and manslaughter and is currently serving 22 1/2 years in the state case. He also pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating Mr. Floyd’s civil rights, for which he was sentenced to 21 years in prison and 21 years in prison for an unrelated case involving a 14-year-old boy.

He is serving a concurrent sentence at the federal correctional facility in Tucson, Arizona.

Kueng is black, Lane is white, and Thao is Hmong American. They were convicted of federal charges in February after a month-long trial that focused on police training and police department culture.

All three were convicted of depriving Mr Floyd of his medical rights, and Shao and Kun were also convicted of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin during the killing.

Following their federal sentencing, there is a question about whether Kueng and Thao will continue to stand trial, with legal experts saying they are likely to seek a plea deal with the state that will not exceed the federal sentencing and allow them to go on trial at the same time.

If Kueng is convicted of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, he faces a presumptive 12 1/2 years in prison.