The three other officers charged with aiding and abetting the murder of George Floyd could face serious jail time if found guilty during their upcoming trial.
Earlier this week, Derek Chauvin, the officer who knelt on George Floyd's neck for almost 9 minutes causing him to die, was found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. He now faces a minimum of 12.5 years behind bars and up to a maximum 75 years in prison.
Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao, who are now no longer police officers and each face the charge that they aided and abetted the second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Had Chauvin been found not guilty, the three suspects would have been potentially facing lesser charges.
J. Alexander Kueng, who was a rookie on the force for only a couple of months, knelt on Floyd's back while Chauvin knelt on his neck. Thomas Lane also used his weight to pin down Floyd.
During the arrest of Floyd, Lane did ask Chauvin:
"Should we roll him on his side?"
To which Chauvin replied:
"No, staying put where we got him."
Lane then said:
"I am worried about excited delirium or whatever."
To which Chauvin then replied:
"That's why we have him on his stomach."
One of the officers charged, Tou Thao, did not physically touch Floyd during the altercation, but he is still charged because he didn't do anything to save him. Thao also held back a crowd who had gathered and were begging for Floyd to be helped.
If found guilty, the officers could face 40 years in prison, though state sentencing guidelines could have this reduced to a maximum of 15 years.
It could be imagined that the jury will have a much harder time convicting officers who did not physically touch Floyd or who did not actively participate in his death.
The death of George Floyd kicked off huge nationwide and international protests against police brutality and racism. The Black Lives Matter movement was one of the key organisers behind the protests.
[h/t: The Mind Unleashed]
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