Former Minneapolis officers J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, two of the four men convicted of violating George Floyd’s rights, have been sentenced for their role in his death.
According to the Associated Press, J. Alexander Kueng was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in the murder, and Tou Thao was sentenced to 3 1/2 years. They were convicted for violating George Floyd’s civil rights back in February along with Derek Chauvin and Thomas Lane, who already received their sentences for the violation.
The jury found that Kueng and Thao failed to stop Chauvin from having his knee on George Floyd’s neck, and also deprived Floyd of medical assistance during the fatal incident. As Chauvin held George Floyd down by his neck, Kueng held Floyd’s back and Thao kept bystanders from interfering during the May 2020 incident.
As previously reported, Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years for violating George Floyd’s rights, while Thomas Lane was sentenced to 2 1/2 years. Prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson to sentence both Kueng and Thao to less time than Chauvin, but “substantially” more time than Lane.
According to CNN, Thao’s defense team requested that he receive a 2-year sentence for his role, while Kueng’s defense team kept their recommended sentence sealed.
During the sentencing, George Floyd’s girlfriend Courteney Ross addressed Thao and said,
“I will never forget you speaking to the onlookers when you said, ‘This is why you don’t do drugs.’ No one deserves to be treated as less. That’s not how Floyd treated others.”
Kueng and Thao have been ordered to be placed on supervised release for 2 years after their release from prison, as well as make a payment to a $200 special assessment.
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TSR STAFF: Jade Ashley @Jade_Ashley94
