J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, three Minneapolis police officers who helped Derek Chauvin choke George Floyd to death, were convicted of abusing Floyd's civil rights Thursday.
The men are expected to receive lengthy prison sentences, and still face state charges of aiding and abetting murder. Chauvin was convicted of Floyd's murder last year and sentenced to serve a minimum of 20 years in prison.
In closing arguments, prosecutors said the defendants had "front-row seats" to Floyd's murder and "chose to do nothing" to help him while Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for 9 ½ minutes. "They chose not to aid George Floyd as the window into which Mr. Floyd's life could have been saved slammed shut," Assistant U.S. Attorney Manda Sertich said Tuesday.
Thao controlled the crowd gathered around the scene, mocked people who complained, and threatened those who might intervene. Kueng "casually picked gravel out of a police car tire" and knelt on Floyd's back. Lane suggested Chauvin stop choking Floyd, but continued to restrain Floyd so that Chauvin could do so.
