Ex-Minneapolis Police Officer Tou Thao Found Guilty In The Killing Of George Floyd

Thao’s manslaughter conviction means that the state will, in turn, drop the harsher charge of aiding and abetting murder, according to MPR News.

Robert Paule, Thao’s lawyer, claims his client was never aware that Floyd was essentially being choked to death. The lawyer added that Thao had followed his Minneapolis police training. Paule said that Thao wanted to rush Floyd to get medical treatment for “excited delirium.”

The man in the photo, Tuo Thao, stood by and watched as his colleague murdered #GeorgeFloyd. Silence and complacency only work to uphold white supremacy. pic.twitter.com/wIr39kxoBh

— Cindy (she/her) (@CindyNguyenOK) May 28, 2020

Meanwhile, prosecutors countered Thao’s claims, arguing he was an experienced police officer of nearly nine years and should have known the dangers.

Witness and bodycam footage shows Thao repeatedly pushing back bystanders, including an off-duty firefighter who directed officers to check Floyd’s pulse.

Thao reportedly said at one point: “This is why you don’t do drugs, kids.”

📌⬇🔍#OAXACA Condenan a más de 3 años de prisión a expolicías involucrados en asesinato de George Floyd

Este miércoles un tribunal federal de Estados Unidos, condenó a J. Alexander Kueng y Tuo Thao, ambos expolicías acusados de participar en el asesinato de George pic.twitter.com/V9KVVGQVMu

— ORP Noticias (@orpnoticias) July 30, 2022

Thao’s conviction brings an end to all four former officers’ legal proceedings.

Last month, a state appeals court unanimously denied Chauvin’s appeal for a new trial. Judges upheld the ruling that Chauvin used unreasonable force on Floyd.

Thao spoke at sentencing in a rambling speech that lasted over 20 minutes. He heavily quoted bible scriptures and urged people to turn to God while speaking of “false accusations.”

#DerekChauvin #TuoThao #GeorgeFloyd #PoliceBrutality pic.twitter.com/2hL51PcNz1

— Scott SFBA.social  (@bullriders1) May 27, 2020

Thao rejected a plea deal and told the court that “it would be a lie and a sin” for him to plead guilty, requesting Judge Cahill to rule on the case instead.

Meanwhile, Chauvin and two other former officers, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, have already been convicted or pleaded guilty in state court.

Thao still awaits his sentencing hearing in state court, which is reportedly on August 7, per New York Times. 

The presumptive sentence for aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter is typically 48 months. However, the judge has the discretion to adjust that sentence.

Minnesota AG Keith Ellison said in a statement:

“While we have now reached the end of the prosecution of Floyd’s murder, it is not behind us. There is much more that prosecutors, law-enforcement leaders, rank-and-file officers, elected officials, and community can do to bring about true justice in law enforcement and true trust and safety in all communities.”