MINNEAPOLIS (CN) — One of three officers set to go to trial in June for their involvement in the murder of George Floyd has taken a plea deal.
Thomas Lane, a rookie officer who held Floyd’s legs while convicted murderer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck, pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to aiding and abetting manslaughter in exchange for dismissal of an aiding and abetting second-degree murder count.
Lane agreed to a sentence of three years in prison, which he would serve concurrently with his sentence for a federal conviction for violating Floyd’s civil rights. He has yet to be sentenced for that conviction, and sentencing for the state-court count is scheduled for Sept. 21. Lane would serve his state sentence in federal prison and be eligible for release in two years.
Lane’s former colleagues Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng are still scheduled for trial next month on charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter. Both were also convicted in federal court of two civil rights violations.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office is leading state prosecutions of the officers, issued a statement saying that he was “pleased Thomas Lane has accepted responsibility for his role in Floyd’s death. His acknowledgement he did something wrong is an important step toward healing the wounds of the Floyd family, our community, and the nation.”
The statement foreclosed on the possibility of further comment, pointing out that the state is preparing for the upcoming trial.
Lane’s attorney Earl Gray said that his client did not want to risk losing the case and receiving the mandatory minimum of 12 years for the murder count.
“He has a newborn baby and did not want to risk not being part of the child’s life,” Gray said.
Video of Floyd’s May 2020 death under Chauvin’s knee rapidly went viral and sparked civil unrest in Minneapolis and around the world. Chauvin went to trial alone in April 2021 and was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. He is currently serving a sentence of just over 22 years for those convictions.
Chauvin is appealing those convictions, but also pleaded guilty in federal court to civil rights violations in exchange for dismissal of charges related to a separate, similar incident from 2014.
Lane and Kueng were the first two officers on the scene after Cup Foods in South Minneapolis called to report that Floyd had passed a counterfeit bill on Memorial Day 2020. Lane briefly pointed a gun at Floyd during the first moments of their interaction, but soon afterward had holstered the gun and was taking down Floyd’s information.
Chauvin and Thao arrived during a struggle to get Floyd into Lane and Kueng’s squad car, and the four brought Floyd to the ground. Lane knelt on Floyd’s legs, while Kueng covered his lower back and thighs and Chauvin knelt on his upper back and neck. As Floyd cried that he couldn’t breathe, Lane asked repeatedly whether the foursome should roll Floyd on his side and expressed concern about “excited delirium,” a disputed condition often attributed to Black men held in police custody.
After Floyd stopped breathing, Lane can be seen on video easing his weight off of Floyd, and when paramedics arrived to take Floyd from the scene, he went with them and performed CPR without success. The medical aid he provided to Floyd played a major part of his defense during his federal trial.
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.
Additional Reads
-
Jan. 6 sentences April 19, 2024 -
