Jury Finds 3 Ex-Minneapolis Police Officers Guilty Of Violating George Floyd’s Civil Rights

Topline

Three former Minneapolis police officers involved in the arrest of George Floyd were found guilty of violating his constitutional rights Thursday by failing to aid the Black man while their colleague, Derek Chauvin, pinned Floyd down with his knee for over nine minutes in 2020.

A photograph of George Floyd is displayed along with other photographs at the Say Their Names … [+] memorial exhibit at Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade on July 20, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

After deliberating for about 13 hours, jurors found J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao guilty of depriving Floyd of his constitutional rights by failing to render medical aid, according to multiple news outlets in the courtroom.

Kueng and Thao were also found guilty of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin’s use of unreasonable force.

Chauvin pled guilty to the federal charges in December.

During the month-long trial, prosecutors presented evidence and called witnesses to argue the officers had been trained to stop other officers from using excessive force, and to reposition suspects to prevent asphyxia.

Defense attorneys argued the three former officers deferred to Chauvin, the most senior officer on the scene, and that prosecutors failed to prove they acted with “deliberate indifference” during the arrest.

Sentencing for civil rights violations varies greatly and depends on federal sentencing formulas, but the maximum penalties are life in prison or death—though those sentences are rare.

What To Watch For

Keung, Lane and Thao still face a separate criminal trial where they have been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter in Minnesota. The trial is scheduled to begin in June.

Tangent

Chauvin, the former officer convicted of murder and manslaughter during his separate criminal trial for kneeling on Floyd’s neck during the arrest, initially pled not guilty to federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights, but changed his plea to guilty in December. As part of the plea agreement, Chauvin will never be allowed to work as a law enforcement officer again, will have to pay an undisclosed amount of restitution and will disclose his assets. He is still awaiting sentencing, and is serving a 22.5-year prison sentence for the state criminal offenses of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, which he has appealed.

Key Background

Chauvin, Keung, Lane and Thao responded on May 25, 2020, to a 911 call that Floyd had used a counterfeit $20 bill at a store. A teenage bystander captured footage of the arrest, which showed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes, despite Floyd’s repeated pleas that he couldn’t breathe. The viral footage sparked protests across the country on police brutality and racism throughout the summer of 2020.

Crucial Quote

LeAnn Bell, a federal prosecutor, said during closing arguments there are no “free passes” under the Constitution, which protects the right to be free from excessive force and to receive medical care if the government takes them into custody. “There’s no pass for, ‘I was a brand-new officer.’ There’s no pass for, ‘It would have been hard or uncomfortable to speak up,’ ” Bell said. “Our Constitution weighs the risk and our Constitution says you must act.”