Former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao received a prison sentence of 4-3/4 years on Monday for aiding and abetting manslaughter in the tragic 2020 killing of George Floyd, a Black man whose life was cut short as another officer’s knee was recklessly pressed against his neck during a botched arrest.
This verdict, pronounced by Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill, exceeded the 4-1/4 years suggested by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Judge Cahill expressed his desire for greater expressions of remorse, regret, and acceptance of responsibility before handing down the sentence. “I was hoping for a little more remorse, regret, acknowledgment of some responsibility.” Chachill stated.
Thao’s term will run concurrently with the 3-1/2 years he had previously received for a federal conviction of violating Floyd’s civil rights.
Back in May, Cahill found Thao guilty of aiding and abetting manslaughter in the second degree, underscoring his role in the tragic demise of George Floyd. As a nine-year veteran of the police force, Thao was the fourth and final officer to be sentenced in relation to the incident.
Before the sentencing, Thao addressed the court, stating, “I didn’t intend on doing any malice or … try hurt anyone. That was never my intent. I did the best that I thought I could.”
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Derek Chauvin, the white officer who was captured on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes, was convicted of murder in 2021. Thao, on the other hand, stood by, holding back a small group of observers as Chauvin and two other officers restrained Floyd, who was suspected of using a counterfeit $20 bill at a nearby store.
The tragic event ignited a global movement against racism and police brutality, prompting protests and calls for justice both in the United States and beyond its borders.
At the time of this writing, no comments from Thao’s legal team have been forthcoming.
The other two officers present during the incident, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, were responsible for restraining Floyd’s legs and buttocks as Chauvin knelt on his neck. Last year, Lane and Kueng pleaded guilty in state court to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Lane’s prison term was set at 3-1/2 years, while Kueng received a three-year sentence.
In a subsequent federal trial, Kueng and Lane were found guilty of violating Floyd’s civil rights. The federal sentences for both Lane and Kueng, three years and 2-1/2 years respectively, will be served concurrently with their state sentences.
Chauvin, the officer most directly implicated in Floyd’s death, was sentenced to 22-1/2 years in state prison for unintentional second-degree murder. In the same year, he received an additional 21-year concurrent sentence for federal charges stemming from the violation of Floyd’s civil rights.
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