Where's the Thread on "George Floyd" ????

[spaminator]

Former Minneapolis officer pleads guilty in George Floyd case
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Publishing date:May 18, 2022 • 19 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation


One of three Minneapolis policemen who watched fellow officer Derek Chauvin kill George Floyd by kneeling on his neck pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting manslaughter in the 2020 case, which triggered a wave of protests over racial injustice.


Chauvin, who is white, was sentenced to 22-1/2 years in prison last year after his conviction on charges of murdering Floyd, a Black man suspected of passing a counterfeit bill.

By entering the plea on Wednesday, now-former officer Thomas Lane avoided an upcoming trial on the more serious charge of aiding and abetting second-degree murder. He agreed to a sentence of three years in prison, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

The two other former officers involved in George Floyd’s arrest, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng, are scheduled to face trial in June on both of state charges, according to online Hennepin County Court records.

“His acknowledgment he did something wrong is an important step toward healing the wounds of the Floyd family, our community and the nation,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement.

In February, Lane, Thao and Kueng were convicted on federal charges of depriving Floyd of his civil rights by failing to give aid to him when he showed signs of distress while pinned under Chauvin’s knee for more than nine minutes.

Chauvin has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges he violated Floyd’s civil rights.

Floyd’s killing sparked protests in cities around the world against police brutality and racism.

Former Minneapolis officer pleads guilty in George Floyd case

Ex-Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting manslaughter in the 2020 case.

torontosun.com

 

[B00Mer]

Where's the Thread on "George Floyd" ????​

Hopefully as dead as George Floyd.. but

 

[AureaOlivas]

The plea for George Floyd has already gone down but the BLM movement is still up and running. The only time I hear his name ever being brought up is by people who want to provoke the BLM people.

 

[spaminator]

Chicago's top cop seeks officer's firing over mall arrest
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Publishing date:Jun 16, 2022 • 16 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation

CHICAGO — A Chicago police officer accused of dragging a Black woman from a car by her hair and kneeling on her back and neck during a period of protests and unrest following George Floyd’s killing should be fired, the head of the police department told a civilian oversight board.


Superintendent David Brown filed disciplinary charges this month against Officer David Laskus and recommended he be fired to the Chicago Police Board, which will decide the issue.

The police union didn’t immediately reply to a message Thursday seeking the name of Laskus’ lawyer.

Brown charged Laskus with violating various department rules, including mistreating and engaging in any unjustified verbal or physical altercation with a person, according to police board records.

Mia Wright was a passenger in a car that arrived at the Brickyard Mall on May 31, 2020, during a weekend of protests and unrest, including looting, after the killing of Floyd, who was Black, by a white police officer in Minneapolis.

A federal civil right lawsuit Wright and four relatives filed states that they drove to the mall to go shopping and didn’t realize it was closed due to the unrest. The suit alleges that police officers suddenly surrounded their car, broke the windows with their batons and pulled Wright out by her hair.

Wright says she was left blind in one eye by flying glass caused by the officers breaking the car windows.

Officers said they thought some members of Wright’s group were attempting to break into a store at the mall to steal goods, city lawyer Caroline Fronczak has said.

The City Council in March approved a $1.675 million settlement with Wright and the four others who were with her that day.

Chicago's top cop seeks officer's firing over mall arrest

CHICAGO — A Chicago police officer accused of dragging a Black woman from a car by her hair and kneeling on her back and neck during a period of protests and unrest…

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Derek Chauvin faces sentencing on federal charges in Floyd killing
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Steve Karnowski
Publishing date:Jul 05, 2022 • 15 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation

MINNEAPOLIS — A federal judge will this week sentence former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for federal civil rights violations in the killing of George Floyd.


U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson on Tuesday set Chauvin’s sentencing hearing for 2 p.m. Thursday in St. Paul.

Chauvin’s plea agreement calls for a sentence of 20 to 25 years in prison. Federal prosecutors last month asked for 25 years, on the high end of that range, saying his actions were cold-blooded and needless. The defense’s sentencing position remains sealed.

Chauvin pleaded guilty in December to violating Floyd’s rights, admitting for the first time that he kept his knee on Floyd’s neck — even as the Black man said he couldn’t breathe and after he became unresponsive — resulting in Floyd’s death. Chauvin, who is white, admitted he willfully deprived Floyd of his right to be free from unreasonable seizure, including unreasonable force by a police officer, during the May 2020 arrest.


Chauvin was also convicted in a separate case on state charges of murder and manslaughter and is already serving a 22 1/2-year state sentence. The plea agreement calls for Chauvin to serve the federal sentence at the same time as the state sentence, and to serve it in federal prison. The deal means he’s expected to serve more time behind bars than he would have faced on the state sentence alone.

Three other former Minneapolis police officers — Tou Thao, J. Alexander Keung and Thomas Lane — were convicted in February of federal civil rights charges in Floyd’s death. Magnuson has not set sentencing dates for them.

Lane pleaded guilty in state court in May to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter and is due to be sentenced on that charge Sept. 21. Thao and Kueng, who turned down plea deals, are due to be tried in state court Oct. 24 accused of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Floyd’s killing sparked protests in Minneapolis and around the world in a reckoning over police brutality and racism.

Derek Chauvin faces sentencing on federal charges in Floyd killing

A federal judge will this week sentence former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for federal civil rights violations.

torontosun.com

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Good man, good cop being railroaded.

 

[Jinentonix]

Good man, good cop being railroaded.

So Chauvin gets 20-25 while Noor, a muslim cop who murdered a White woman in Minneapolis in 2017 ended up getting a total of 57 months. Interesting how the Minnesota "justice" system works. Meanwhile BLM was out there whining about how harshly Noor was being treated for murdering a White woman. Yet there's no complaint from BLM about how much more harshly Chauvin is being treated for murdering a Black man. Funny that, huh?

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

So Chauvin gets 20-25 while Noor, a muslim cop who murdered a White woman in Minneapolis in 2017 ended up getting a total of 57 months. Interesting how the Minnesota "justice" system works. Meanwhile BLM was out there whining about how harshly Noor was being treated for murdering a White woman. Yet there's no complaint from BLM about how much more harshly Chauvin is being treated for murdering a Black man. Funny that, huh?

Very unfortunate. I would go into some of the factors that went into that, but you got your shot off. You clearly believe the United States is shot through with anti-White discrimination.

So, cool. Have a day. Vote for whatever party you like.

 

[pgs]

Very unfortunate. I would go into some of the factors that went into that, but you got your shot off. You clearly believe the United States is shot through with anti-White discrimination.

So, cool. Have a day. Vote for whatever party you like.

Most people do . Some 81,000,000 of you apparently voted for Joe Biden . The most ever .

 

[spaminator]

Derek Chauvin gets 21 years for violating George Floyd’s civil rights
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Steve Karnowski
Publishing date:Jul 07, 2022 • 15 hours ago • 1 minute read • 27 Comments

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Derek Chauvin to 21 years in prison for violating George Floyd’s civil rights, a move that adds a few years to the time the former Minneapolis police officer is already serving for his murder conviction while transferring him to federal custody.


U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson’s sentence came after Chauvin had agreed to a plea deal that called for a sentence ranging from 20 to 25 years. Federal prosecutors had sought the top end of that range, arguing that Chauvin, who is white, killed Floyd in cold blood when he pinned the Black man to the pavement outside a Minneapolis corner store on May 25, 2020, for more than 9 minutes as Floyd pleaded that he could not breathe.

Chauvin’s attorney had sought 20 years, arguing that Chauvin was remorseful.

During Thursday’s hearing, Chauvin told Floyd’s family that he “wishes all the best” for Floyd’s children. But Chauvin’s brief remarks included no direct apology or expression of remorse to Floyd’s family.

Chauvin is already serving a 22 1/2-year sentence on state charges of murder and manslaughter.

The plea deal called for Chauvin to serve the sentences at the same time and to be transferred from a Minnesota state prison to a federal prison, where experts say he likely will be safer and may be held under less restrictive conditions.

Derek Chauvin gets 21 years for violating George Floyd’s civil rights

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Derek Chauvin to 21 years in prison for violating George Floyd’s civil rights, a move that adds a few years …

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Ex-cop Thomas Lane gets 2 1/2 years on George Floyd killing federal charge
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Steve Karnowski
Publishing date:Jul 21, 2022 • 16 hours ago • 4 minute read • 5 Comments

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A federal judge sentenced former Minneapolis police Officer Thomas Lane to 2 1/2 years in prison Thursday for violating George Floyd’s civil rights, calling Lane’s role in the restraint that killed Floyd “a very serious offence in which a life was lost” but handing down a sentence well below what prosecutors and Floyd’s family sought.


Judge Paul Magnuson’s sentence was just slightly more than the 27 months that Lane’s attorney had requested, while prosecutors had asked for at least 5 1/4 years in prison — the low end of federal guidelines. Lane was convicted earlier this year of depriving Floyd of his right to medical care.

Lane, who is white, held Floyd’s legs as Officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd’s neck with his knee for nearly 9 1/2 minutes on May 25, 2020. Bystander video of Floyd, who was Black, pleading that he could not breathe sparked protests in Minneapolis and around the world in a reckoning over racial injustice over policing.

Two other officers, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, were also convicted of violating Floyd’s civil rights — for depriving Floyd of his right to medical care and for failing to intervene to stop Chauvin — and will be sentenced later.


Floyd family members had asked Magnuson to give Lane the stiffest sentence possible, with brother Philonise Floyd rejecting the idea that Lane deserved any mercy for asking his colleagues twice if George Floyd should be shifted from his stomach to his side.

“Officer Lane did not intervene in one way or another,” he said.

Prosecutor Manda Sertich had also argued for a higher sentence, saying that Lane “chose not to act” when he could have saved a life.

“There has to be a line where blindly following a senior officer’s lead, even for a rookie officer, is not acceptable,” she said.

Magnuson told Lane the “fact that you did not get up and remove Mr. Chauvin when Mr. Floyd became unconscious is a violation of the law.” But he also held up 145 letters he said he had received supporting Lane, saying he had never received so many on behalf of a defendant. And he faulted the Minneapolis Police Department for sending Lane with another rookie officer on the call that ended in Floyd’s death.


Magnuson cited two letters in particular that he said came from doctors who recounted a situation when their diagnosis was overruled by a more senior physician, “to disastrous result to the patient.” He said the doctors described being haunted that they did not stand up to the senior physician.

“It speaks loudly to this case,” Magnuson said.

In sentencing Chauvin earlier this month on a civil rights charge in Floyd’s killing, Magnuson appeared to suggest that he bore the most blame in the case, telling Chauvin: “You absolutely destroyed the lives of three young officers by taking command of the scene.”

Lane did not speak at Thursday’s sentencing and neither he nor his attorney, Earl Gray, commented to reporters afterward. Philonise Floyd called the sentence “insulting” and said he didn’t understand why Lane — whom he called “an accessory to murder” — didn’t get the toughest possible sentence.


“To me I think this whole criminal system needs to be torn down and rebuilt,” he said.

Magnuson also said he would recommend that Lane serve his sentence at the federal prison in Duluth, a minimum-security facility about 2 1/2 hours from the Minneapolis area. The facility is classified as a “camp,” has no fence and has dormitory-style housing rather than cells. Prison assignments are made by the Bureau of Prisons.

Gray argued during the trial that Lane “did everything he could possibly do to help George Floyd.” He pointed out that Lane suggested rolling Floyd on his side so he could breathe, but was rebuffed twice by Chauvin. He also noted that Lane performed CPR to try to revive Floyd after the ambulance arrived.

Lane testified at trial that he didn’t realize how dire Floyd’s condition was until paramedics turned him over.


When Lane pleaded guilty in state court in May to one charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, Gray said Lane hoped to avoid a long sentence. “He has a newborn baby and did not want to risk not being part of the child’s life,” he said.

Chauvin pleaded guilty in December to a federal civil rights charge in Floyd’s killing and to another civil rights charge in an unrelated case involving a Black teenager. That netted a 21-year sentence from Magnuson, toward the low end of 20- to 25-year range both sides agreed to under his plea deal.

Chauvin was also convicted of second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in state court and is serving a 22 1/2-year state sentence. His federal and state sentences are being served simultaneously.


Kueng pinned Floyd’s back during the restraint and Thao helped hold back an increasingly concerned group of onlookers outside a Minneapolis convenience store where Floyd, who was unarmed, tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill.

Magnuson has not set sentencing dates for Thao, who is Hmong American, and Kueng, who is Black. But he has scheduled a hearing for Friday, after their attorneys objected to sentencing calculations under the complicated federal guidelines. Prosecutors are seeking unspecified sentences for them that would be lower than Chauvin’s but “substantially higher” than Lane’s.

Thao and Kueng are free on bond pending sentencing on their federal convictions. They are also charged with state counts of aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. They have turned down plea deals and are scheduled to go to trial on those charges on Oct. 24.

Ex-cop Thomas Lane gets 2 1/2 years on George Floyd killing federal charge

A federal judge sentenced former Minneapolis police Officer Thomas Lane to 2 1/2 years in prison for violating George Floyd's civil rights.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Two Minnesota ex-officers sentenced on federal charges in George Floyd case
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Brendan O'Brien
Publishing date:Jul 27, 2022 • 18 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation

Two former Minneapolis police officers were sentenced on Wednesday on federal charges stemming from the murder of George Floyd, the Black man who was killed when their colleague Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck during an arrest.


At a hearing in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson sentenced Tou Thao, 36, to 3-1/2 years. Earlier on Wednesday, he sentenced J. Alexander Kueng, 28, to three years, Andrew Luger, U.S. attorney for Minnesota, said in a statement.

In February, Thao and Kueng, along with a third officer, Thomas Lane, were convicted by a federal jury of depriving Floyd of his civil rights and failing to come to his aid while Chauvin, a white man, choked him with a knee for nine minutes.

Lane, 39, was sentenced last Thursday to 2-1/2 years in prison, while Chauvin was sentenced in February to 20 years and 5 months on federal charges related to Floyd’s murder in May 2020.

“Each had an individual duty and opportunity to intervene in the excessive force that resulted in the agonizing death of Mr. Floyd, but both men failed to take any action,” he said, referring to Thao and Kueng.


After the hearings, Floyd’s girlfriend Courteney Ross said she had hoped for stiffer sentences for both men.

“I am saddened, but I suppose we have to take all of these small triumphs and know that we are going to move forward,” she said during a news conference.

A cellphone video of Floyd handcuffed and pleading with Chauvin for his life prompted outrage in the days after the incident, spurring huge daily protests against racism and police brutality in cities around the world.

The four officers were called to a Minneapolis grocery store on May 25, 2020, and tried to take Floyd into custody on suspicion he used a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes.

While Chauvin was kneeling on Floyd’s neck, Kueng placed his knee on Floyd’s lower body and left it there for more than eight minutes, prosecutors said.


Federal prosecutors argued that the three men knew from their training and from “basic human decency” that they had a duty to help Floyd as he begged for his life before falling limp beneath Chauvin’s knee.

Chauvin was also convicted of intentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in a state trial in 2021. He is serving a concurrent sentence of 22-1/2 years on that conviction.

In May Lane pleaded guilty to state aiding and abetting manslaughter charges and agreed to a sentence of three years in prison. A state trial is scheduled to be begin in January for Thao and Kueng.

Two Minnesota ex-officers sentenced on federal charges in George Floyd case

Two former Minneapolis police officers were sentenced on Wednesday on federal charges stemming from the murder of George Floyd.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Kanye West sued for $250 million over George Floyd comments
Author of the article:Bang Showbiz
Bang Showbiz
Publishing date:Oct 18, 2022 • 5 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation

The mother of George Floyd’s daughter is planning to file a $250 million lawsuit against Kanye West.


Roxie Washington, who is the mother of Gianna Floyd, is taking action against the 45-year-old rapper for harassment, misappropriation, defamation, and infliction of emotional distress after he recently alleged George died as a result of fentanyl use and not as a result of police brutality.


Witherspoon Law Group and Dixon and Dixon Attorneys at Law confirmed that the family have already issued a cease-and-desist letter to Kanye for having made “false statements about George Floyd’s death to promote his brands, and increase marketing value and revenue for himself, his business partners, and associates.”

According to TMZ, the letter reads in part: “Mr. Floyd’s cause of death is well-settled through evidence presented in courts of law during the criminal and civil trials that were the result of his untimely and horrific death. Nevertheless, you have maliciously made statements that are inaccurate and unfounded, causing damage to Mr. Floyd’s estate and his family.”


The Floyd family say the ‘Stronger’ rapper’s statements were “blatantly false” and “malicious” and argue Gianna is being “retraumatised” by Kanye’s comments, which are “creating an unsafe and unhealthy environment for her.”

The letter wants Kanye to remove his statements about George – whose death kickstarted the Black Lives Matter protests around the world – from the internet and stop talking about him.

Kanye made his comments on the ‘Drink Champs’ podcast earlier this week.

He said: “I watched the George Floyd documentary that Candace Owens put out. One of the things that his two roommates said was they want a tall guy like me, and the day that he died, he said a prayer for eight minutes. They hit him with the fentanyl. If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that.”

The interview has now been removed from the ‘Drink Champs’ YouTube channel and Revolt TV.

Former police officer Derek Chauvin was jailed for 22.5 years for murdering George by kneeling on his neck and back for over nine minutes.

Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker previously testified that heart disease and fentanyl use had contributed to the man’s death, but were not the direct cause.

Kanye West sued for $250 million over George Floyd comments

The mother of George Floyd's daughter is planning to file a $250 million lawsuit against Kanye West.

torontosun.com

 

[petros]

statements that are inaccurate and unfounded, causing damage to Mr. Floyd’s estate and his family.”

Junkie is as junkie does. I have zero issues stigmatizing a fucking junkie, if junkies were stigmatized instead of enabled there wouldn't be a 1/4 of the peripheral junkie problems society is faced with.

Perhaps the new found wealth his family (Floyd) has been endowed went to rehabbing junkies it would prove Black Lives really do matter and are worth saving rather than encouraging a long, slow death.

 

[spaminator]

Kanye West sued for $250 million over George Floyd comments
Author of the article:Bang Showbiz
Bang Showbiz
Publishing date:Oct 18, 2022 • 5 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation

The mother of George Floyd’s daughter is planning to file a $250 million lawsuit against Kanye West.


Roxie Washington, who is the mother of Gianna Floyd, is taking action against the 45-year-old rapper for harassment, misappropriation, defamation, and infliction of emotional distress after he recently alleged George died as a result of fentanyl use and not as a result of police brutality.


Witherspoon Law Group and Dixon and Dixon Attorneys at Law confirmed that the family have already issued a cease-and-desist letter to Kanye for having made “false statements about George Floyd’s death to promote his brands, and increase marketing value and revenue for himself, his business partners, and associates.”

According to TMZ, the letter reads in part: “Mr. Floyd’s cause of death is well-settled through evidence presented in courts of law during the criminal and civil trials that were the result of his untimely and horrific death. Nevertheless, you have maliciously made statements that are inaccurate and unfounded, causing damage to Mr. Floyd’s estate and his family.”


The Floyd family say the ‘Stronger’ rapper’s statements were “blatantly false” and “malicious” and argue Gianna is being “retraumatised” by Kanye’s comments, which are “creating an unsafe and unhealthy environment for her.”

The letter wants Kanye to remove his statements about George – whose death kickstarted the Black Lives Matter protests around the world – from the internet and stop talking about him.

Kanye made his comments on the ‘Drink Champs’ podcast earlier this week.

He said: “I watched the George Floyd documentary that Candace Owens put out. One of the things that his two roommates said was they want a tall guy like me, and the day that he died, he said a prayer for eight minutes. They hit him with the fentanyl. If you look, the guy’s knee wasn’t even on his neck like that.”

The interview has now been removed from the ‘Drink Champs’ YouTube channel and Revolt TV.

Former police officer Derek Chauvin was jailed for 22.5 years for murdering George by kneeling on his neck and back for over nine minutes.

Hennepin County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker previously testified that heart disease and fentanyl use had contributed to the man’s death, but were not the direct cause.

Kanye West sued for $250 million over George Floyd comments

The mother of George Floyd's daughter is planning to file a $250 million lawsuit against Kanye West.

torontosun.com

poor kanye. he cant seem to catch a break.

 

[spaminator]

Ex-Minneapolis cop pleads guilty in George Floyd killing
Plea deal for J. Alexander Kueng calls for 3 1/2 years in prison

Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Amy Forliti
Publishing date:Oct 24, 2022 • 22 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
Keung has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd. The former police officer entered the plea Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, just as jury selection was about to begin in his trial. Jury selection for Thao was expected to begin later Monday.
Keung has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd. The former police officer entered the plea Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, just as jury selection was about to begin in his trial. Jury selection for Thao was expected to begin later Monday.
MINNEAPOLIS — A former Minneapolis police officer pleaded guilty Monday to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd just as jury selection was about to begin. Another former officer waived his right to a jury trial, setting up an uncommon process in which both sides agree to the evidence before the judge issues a verdict.


The plea deal for J. Alexander Kueng calls for 3 1/2 years in prison, with prosecutors agreeing to drop a count of aiding and abetting second-degree murder. Kueng is the second officer to plead guilty to the state charge, following Thomas Lane, who pleaded guilty earlier this year.


Their former colleague, Tou Thao, rejected a plea deal earlier this year, telling a judge it “would be lying” to accept any such deal. On Monday, he agreed to go forward with a proceeding called a trial by stipulated evidence on one count of aiding and abetting manslaughter. In doing so, he is waiving his rights to a trial by jury and to testify.

The two sides will work out agreed-upon evidence against Thao and prepare written closing arguments. They will submit those to Judge Peter Cahill by Nov. 17, with Cahill to decide whether he is guilty within 90 days. If convicted of the manslaughter count, Thao would likely get about four years in prison and the aiding and abetting murder charge would be dropped.


Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office prosecuted the case, said in a statement that he hopes Keung’s guilty plea can bring comfort to Floyd’s family and “bring our communities closer to a new era of accountability and justice.” He also said his office is looking forward to a swift resolution of Thao’s case, and he thanked the witnesses who were prepared to testify at trial.

All three were convicted in February on federal counts of willfully violating the civil rights of Floyd, who was Black. Lane was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in the federal case. Kueng was sentenced to three years and Thao was sentenced to 3 1/2, but for some Floyd family members and activists, the penalties were too small.

Floyd, 46, died May 25, 2020, after Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, pinned him to the ground with a knee on Floyd’s neck as he repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe. The killing, captured on widely viewed bystander video, sparked protests in Minneapolis and around the globe as part of a reckoning over racial injustice.


Kueng and Lane helped to restrain Floyd, who was handcuffed. Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back and Lane held down Floyd’s legs. Thao kept bystanders from intervening during the 9 1/2-minute restraint.

As part of his plea agreement, Kueng admitted that he held Floyd’s torso, that he knew from his experience and training that restraining a handcuffed person in a prone position created a substantial risk, and that the restraint of Floyd was unreasonable under the circumstances.

Kueng’s plea called for him to serve his state and federal terms concurrently, just as Lane is doing.

Rachel Moran, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, said the stipulated bench trial for Thao is a “creative way” to resolve his case, noting that such trials are uncommon but sometimes happen.


“The stipulated bench trial allows him to maintain his innocence and to blame the court if he gets found guilty, rather than make any admissions himself,” she said. “On the state’s part, they also don’t want to go to trial. They are exhausted, their witnesses are exhausted … they potentially get what they want, which is just a conviction and concurrent prison time, which is all they were looking for.”

She said the state was creative in leaving the murder charge on the table, so that if Thao is acquitted on the manslaughter charge, the state to still pursue the aiding and abetting murder charge.

John Baker, a lawyer and assistant professor of criminal justice studies at St. Cloud State University, said stipulated bench trials are fairly common, particularly when there are concerns about getting an unbiased jury and when the case hinges more on a legal question rather than evidentiary issues.


Baker said Thao’s attorney won’t contest what happened and that the case will come down to whether Thao knew that Chauvin was committing a crime. “That lends itself more toward a court trial, with the judge making a decision,” he said.

Chauvin was convicted of state murder and manslaughter charges last year and is currently serving 22 1/2 years in the state case. He also pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating Floyd’s civil rights and was sentenced to 21 years for that and for an unrelated case involving a 14-year-old boy. He is serving the sentences at the same time at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona.

Kueng is Black, Lane is white and Thao is Hmong American. They were convicted of federal charges in February after a trial that focused on their training and the culture of the police department. All three were convicted of depriving Floyd of his right to medical care and Thao and Kueng were also convicted of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin during the killing.


After their federal sentences, there was a question as to whether Kueng and Thao would proceed to trial, with legal experts saying it was likely they’d seek a plea deal with the state that would not exceed the federal sentence and allow them to serve both sentences at the same time.

State sentencing guidelines for a person with no criminal record, like Kueng, call for a range from about 3 1/2 years to four years and nine months in prison for second-degree unintentional manslaughter. The presumptive sentence is four years.

If Kueng had been convicted of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, he would have faced a presumptive 12 1/2 years in prison.

Ex-Minneapolis cop pleads guilty in George Floyd killing

A former Minneapolis police officer pleaded guilty Monday to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Ex-cop who kneeled on George Floyd's back gets 3.5-year term
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Stephen Groves And Amy Forliti
Publishing dateec 09, 2022 • 23 hours ago • 2 minute read

MINNEAPOLIS — The former Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s back while another officer kneeled on the Black man’s neck was sentenced Friday to 3 1/2 years in prison.


J. Alexander Kueng pleaded guilty in October to a state count of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. In exchange, a charge of aiding and abetting murder was dropped. Kueng is already serving a federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights, and the state and federal sentence will be served at the same time.


Kueng appeared at his sentencing hearing via video from a federal prison in Ohio. When given the chance to address the court, he declined.

Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after former Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes as Floyd repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe and eventually went limp. The killing, which a bystander recorded on video, sparked worldwide protests as part of a broader reckoning over racial injustice.


Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back during the restraint while a third officer, Thomas Lane, held Floyd’s legs and a fourth, Tou Thao, kept bystanders from intervening. All of the officers were fired and faced state and federal charges.

As part of his plea agreement, Kueng admitted that he held Floyd’s torso, that he knew from his experience and training that restraining a handcuffed person in a prone position created a substantial risk, and that the restraint of Floyd was unreasonable under the circumstances.

Kueng agreed to a state sentence of 3 1/2 years in prison, to be served at the same time as his federal sentence and in federal custody.

Kueng’s sentencing will bring the cases against all of the former officers a step closer to resolution, though the state case against Thao is still pending.


Thao previously told Judge Peter Cahill that it “would be lying” to plead guilty. In October, he agreed to what’s called a stipulated evidence trial on the aiding and abetting manslaughter count. As part of that process, his attorneys and prosecutors are working out agreed-upon evidence in his case and filing written closing arguments. Cahill will then decide whether he is guilty or not.

If Thao is convicted, the murder count — which carries a presumptive sentence of 12 1/2 years in prison — will be dropped.

Chauvin, who is white, was convicted of state murder and manslaughter charges last year and is serving 22 1/2 years in the state case. He also pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating Floyd’s civil rights and was sentenced to 21 years. He is serving the sentences concurrently at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona.

Kueng, Lane and Thao were convicted of federal charges in February: All three were convicted of depriving Floyd of his right to medical care and Thao and Kueng were also convicted of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin during the killing.

Lane, who is white, is serving his 2 1/2-year federal sentence at a facility in Colorado. He’s serving a three-year state sentence at the same time. Kueng, who is Black, was sentenced to three years on the federal counts; Thao, who is Hmong American, got a 3 1/2-year federal sentence.

— Groves reported from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Ex-cop who kneeled on George Floyd's back gets 3.5-year term

The former Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s back was sentenced Friday to 3 1/2 years in prison.

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[spaminator]

Prosecutors drop appeals against two ex-cops in Floyd case
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Jan 11, 2023 • 1 minute read

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday accepted the government’s request to drop its appeals of the sentences of two former Minneapolis police officers who were convicted of civil rights violations in the murder of George Floyd.


The one-page filings in the cases of ex-officers J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao gave few details. In July, Federal Judge Paul Magnuson sentenced Kueng to three years in prison and Thao to 3 1/2 years. Those sentences were lower than what federal prosecutors had sought. The court docket indicated there had been little activity in the case since prosecutors filed their notices of appeal in September.


Floyd, who was Black, died on May 25, 2020, when former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes. Kueng helped to restrain Floyd by leaning on his back, while Thao held back bystanders from intervening. A fourth officer, Thomas Lane, was convicted of federal charges in February and pleaded guilty to state charges in May.


The killing sparking worldwide protests, many of which were affiliated with Black Lives Matter, as part of a broader reckoning over racial injustice.

The federal civil rights cases were separate from the state charges that Thao and Kueng faced. Kueng pleaded guilty in October to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, while Thao agreed only to what’s called a stipulated evidence trial on the aiding and abetting count in a deal that avoided a full-fledged trial. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill is expected to rule on Thao’s guilt or innocence in the next few weeks, based on prosecution and defense filings.

Next Wednesday, The Minnesota Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in Chauvin’s appeal of his conviction on a state charge of second-degree murder, which resulted in a 22 1/2-year sentence. Chauvin later pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges and was sentenced to 21 years. He’s serving his federal sentence concurrently with his state sentence.

Prosecutors drop appeals against two ex-cops in Floyd case

A federal appeals court accepted the government's request to drop its appeals of the sentences of two former Minneapolis police officers.

torontosun.com

 

[petros]

Prosecutors drop appeals against two ex-cops in Floyd case
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Jan 11, 2023 • 1 minute read

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday accepted the government’s request to drop its appeals of the sentences of two former Minneapolis police officers who were convicted of civil rights violations in the murder of George Floyd.


The one-page filings in the cases of ex-officers J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao gave few details. In July, Federal Judge Paul Magnuson sentenced Kueng to three years in prison and Thao to 3 1/2 years. Those sentences were lower than what federal prosecutors had sought. The court docket indicated there had been little activity in the case since prosecutors filed their notices of appeal in September.


Floyd, who was Black, died on May 25, 2020, when former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes. Kueng helped to restrain Floyd by leaning on his back, while Thao held back bystanders from intervening. A fourth officer, Thomas Lane, was convicted of federal charges in February and pleaded guilty to state charges in May.


The killing sparking worldwide protests, many of which were affiliated with Black Lives Matter, as part of a broader reckoning over racial injustice.

The federal civil rights cases were separate from the state charges that Thao and Kueng faced. Kueng pleaded guilty in October to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, while Thao agreed only to what’s called a stipulated evidence trial on the aiding and abetting count in a deal that avoided a full-fledged trial. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill is expected to rule on Thao’s guilt or innocence in the next few weeks, based on prosecution and defense filings.

Next Wednesday, The Minnesota Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in Chauvin’s appeal of his conviction on a state charge of second-degree murder, which resulted in a 22 1/2-year sentence. Chauvin later pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges and was sentenced to 21 years. He’s serving his federal sentence concurrently with his state sentence.

Prosecutors drop appeals against two ex-cops in Floyd case

A federal appeals court accepted the government's request to drop its appeals of the sentences of two former Minneapolis police officers.

torontosun.com

Ever head of Tony Timpa?

 

[spaminator]

Ex-officer Tou Thao convicted of aiding George Floyd's killing
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Steve Karnowski
Published May 02, 2023 • 4 minute read

MINNEAPOLIS — A former Minneapolis police officer who held back bystanders while his colleagues restrained a dying George Floyd has been convicted of aiding and abetting manslaughter.


Tou Thao, who already had been convicted in federal court of violating Floyd’s civil rights, was last of the four former officers facing judgment in state court in Floyd’s killing. He rejected a plea agreement and, instead of going to trial, let Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill decide the verdict based on written filings by each side and evidence presented in previous cases. His 177-page ruling, filed Monday night, was released Tuesday.


“Thao’s actions were not authorized by law. … There is proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Thao’s actions were objectively unreasonable from the perspective of a reasonable police officer, when viewed under the totality of the circumstances,” Cahill wrote.

Prosecutors argued in their filings in January that Thao “acted without courage and displayed no compassion” despite his nearly nine years of experience, and that he disregarded his training even though he could see Floyd’s life ebbing away.

Floyd, a Black man, died May 25, 2020, after officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, pinned him to the ground with his knee on Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes. Bystander video captured Floyd’s fading cries of “I can’t breathe.” Floyd’s killing touched off protests around the world and forced a national reckoning with police brutality and racism.

Chauvin, the senior officer at the scene, was convicted of murder and manslaughter in April 2021 and later pleaded guilty in the federal case. Two other officers — J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane — pleaded guilty to state charges of aiding and abetting manslaughter and were convicted with Thao in their federal case.

Unlike the other three former officers, Thao maintained that he did nothing wrong. When he rejected a plea deal in state court last August, he said “it would be lying” to plead guilty.


However, prosecutor Matthew Frank wrote that Thao knew that his fellow officers were restraining Floyd in a way that was “extremely dangerous” because it could stop his breathing — “the exact condition from which Floyd repeatedly complained he was suffering.”

“Yet Thao made the conscious decision to aid that dangerous restraint: He actively encouraged the other three officers, and assisted their crime by holding back concerned bystanders,” Frank added.

Defense attorney Robert Paule argued that the state had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Thao knew that Chauvin was committing a crime or that Thao intended to help in a crime.

“Every one of Thao’s actions was done based upon the training he received from the Minneapolis Police Department,” Paule wrote.


He argued that Thao “reasonably believed” that Floyd was experiencing a disputed condition known as “excited delirium” that some medical examiners have attributed as a cause of other in-custody deaths, particularly when someone has taken drugs. Paule said the actions Thao took were aimed at helping to get Floyd medical attention quickly. He said Thao was not aware that Floyd was not breathing or had no pulse.

But Frank noted that witnesses who believe excited delirium is a real condition testified previously that Floyd displayed none of the symptoms.

The judge ordered a presentence investigation and set Aug. 7 as the sentencing date. Minnesota sentencing guidelines recommend four years on the manslaughter count. He will serve his state term concurrent with his 3 1/2-year federal sentence.


The agreement between the prosecution and defense specified that if the judge convicted Thao of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, the state would drop a more serious aiding and abetting second-degree murder count with a presumptive sentence of 12 1/2 years.

Cahill based his decision on exhibits and transcripts from Chauvin’s murder trial, which he presided over, and the federal civil rights trial of Thao, Kueng and Lane last year. Thao was specifically convicted then of depriving Floyd of his right to medical care and of failing to intervene and stop Chauvin.

Thao testified during that trial that he was relying on the other officers to care for Floyd’s medical needs while he served as “a human traffic cone” to control a group of about 15 bystanders and traffic outside a Minneapolis convenience store where Floyd had tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill.


Thao told the court that when he and Chauvin arrived, the other officers were struggling with Floyd. He said it was clear to him, as the other officers tried to put Floyd into a squad car, “that he was under the influence of some type of drugs.”

His body camera video showed he told onlookers at one point, “This is why you don’t do drugs, kids.” When an off-duty, out-of-uniform Minneapolis firefighter asked if officers had checked Floyd’s pulse, he ordered her, “Back off!”

Thao acknowledged he heard onlookers becoming more anxious about Floyd’s condition and that he could hear Floyd saying, “I can’t breathe.” But Thao said he didn’t know there was anything seriously wrong with him even as an ambulance took him away.


The judge didn’t accept Thao’s claims of innocence.

“Thao was trained on MPD’s use of force and medical policies, which are consistent with generally accepted policing practices,” Cahill wrote. “Under those policies and practices, it was objectively unreasonable to (among other things): encourage fellow officers to engage in a dangerous prone restraint for 9 minutes and 24 seconds; encourage those officers not to use a hobble; actively assist their restraint by acting as a ‘human traffic cone’; and prevent bystanders from rendering medical aid. Thao’s actions were even more unreasonable in light of the fact that he was under a duty to intervene to stop the other officers’ excessive use of force and was trained to render medical aid.”

Thao is Hmong American, Kueng is Black and Lane is white.

Ex-officer Tou Thao convicted of aiding George Floyd's killing

A former Minneapolis police officer who held back bystanders while his colleagues restrained a dying George Floyd has been convicted of aiding and abetting manslaughter

torontosun.com