A US policeman who dispersed the throng was found guilty of killing George Floyd
Floyd’s passing in May 2020 provoked nationwide demonstrations against racial inequality and police violence.
The fourth and final former Minneapolis police officer who was accused of manslaughter in George Floyd’s death has been found guilty.
Thao opted for a judge-led trial as opposed to a jury trial. On Monday, Cahill found him guilty, and on Tuesday, the verdict was made public.
In a viral video, Derek Chauvin, a 19-year member of the Minneapolis police force, is seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck for about ten minutes before Floyd faints and dies.
While Thao kept the crowd at bay, two additional officers assisted in holding down Floyd, who was lying face down on the ground handcuffed and complaining that he was struggling to breathe.
The judge stated, “Like the onlookers, Thao could see Floyd’s life slowly ebbing away as the restraint continued.”
Yet Thao made a deliberate choice to actively contribute to Floyd’s demise: he restrained the concerned onlookers and even stopped a Minneapolis firefighter who was not on duty from providing the life-saving assistance Floyd so desperately needed.
Floyd’s passing in May 2020 provoked nationwide demonstrations against racial inequality and police violence.
Chauvin, a white man, was found guilty of murder in April 2021 and given a 22-and-a-half-year prison term.
Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, the other two cops who restrained Floyd, entered guilty pleas to the identical charge of second-degree manslaughter that Thao faced.
Lane was given a 36-month prison term, while Kueng was given a 42-month term.
The judgement date for Thao was set for August 7.
Floyd was arrested for allegedly using a fake $20 bill, and Chauvin, Lane, Kueng, and Thao were found guilty of federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights during that arrest.
Attorney General of Minnesota Keith Ellison referred to Thao’s conviction as “historic and the right outcome.”
In a statement, Ellison stated that it “brings one more measure of accountability in the tragic death of George Floyd.” “Accountability is a step towards justice, but it is not justice in and of itself.”
