A former Minneapolis police officer was sentenced to three-and-a-half years' imprisonment on Friday for his involvement in the killing of George Floyd, a black man who died under the knee of another officer in May 2020, triggering nationwide protests against police brutality and racism.
The officer, J Alexander Kueng, pleaded guilty in October to aiding and abetting manslaughter.
He appeared for the sentencing hearing in Hennepin County District Court through a video link from a federal prison in Ohio, where he is serving between two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half years on federal charges stemming from Floyd's death.
Kueng, who will serve both sentences concurrently, was given credit for 84 days already served.
He was one of four officers called to a Minneapolis grocery store on May 25 2020, where they tried to take Floyd into custody on suspicion he used a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes.
During the encounter, the senior officer on the scene, Derek Chauvin, pinned the handcuffed Floyd's neck to the ground with a knee for over nine minutes, causing his death.
Kueng, 29, and fellow officer Thomas Lane helped Chauvin restrain Floyd, while another officer, Tou Thao, kept bystanders from approaching the scene.
Kueng's sentencing represents a taste of justice for the Floyd family, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump said.
“While the family faces yet another holiday season without George, we hope that moments like these continue to bring them a measure of peace, knowing that George’s death was not in vain,” Crump said.
Kueng declined to make a comment at the hearing. His attorney, Thomas Plunkett, sought to deflect some blame from Kueng, saying his client was a rookie on his third day on the job at the time of the incident.
Demonstrations and, at times, riots erupted across Minneapolis after the incident. A disturbing video of Floyd's final minutes circulating on social media sparked demonstrations across the nation and in large cities around the globe.
Chauvin was convicted of murder in a state trial and sentenced to 22-and-a-half years. He also pleaded guilty to related federal charges and is serving a federal sentence of 21 years concurrently.
The other officers were convicted of depriving Floyd of his civil rights and sentenced in July to between two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half years in prison.
Reuters
Former police officer in George Floyd J Alexander Kueng case jailed for three-and-a-half years
Image: Minnesota Department of Corrections and Hennepin County Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS
Image: Chandan Khanna/AFP
A former Minneapolis police officer was sentenced to three-and-a-half years' imprisonment on Friday for his involvement in the killing of George Floyd, a black man who died under the knee of another officer in May 2020, triggering nationwide protests against police brutality and racism.
The officer, J Alexander Kueng, pleaded guilty in October to aiding and abetting manslaughter.
He appeared for the sentencing hearing in Hennepin County District Court through a video link from a federal prison in Ohio, where he is serving between two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half years on federal charges stemming from Floyd's death.
Kueng, who will serve both sentences concurrently, was given credit for 84 days already served.
He was one of four officers called to a Minneapolis grocery store on May 25 2020, where they tried to take Floyd into custody on suspicion he used a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes.
During the encounter, the senior officer on the scene, Derek Chauvin, pinned the handcuffed Floyd's neck to the ground with a knee for over nine minutes, causing his death.
Kueng, 29, and fellow officer Thomas Lane helped Chauvin restrain Floyd, while another officer, Tou Thao, kept bystanders from approaching the scene.
Kueng's sentencing represents a taste of justice for the Floyd family, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump said.
“While the family faces yet another holiday season without George, we hope that moments like these continue to bring them a measure of peace, knowing that George’s death was not in vain,” Crump said.
Kueng declined to make a comment at the hearing. His attorney, Thomas Plunkett, sought to deflect some blame from Kueng, saying his client was a rookie on his third day on the job at the time of the incident.
Demonstrations and, at times, riots erupted across Minneapolis after the incident. A disturbing video of Floyd's final minutes circulating on social media sparked demonstrations across the nation and in large cities around the globe.
Chauvin was convicted of murder in a state trial and sentenced to 22-and-a-half years. He also pleaded guilty to related federal charges and is serving a federal sentence of 21 years concurrently.
The other officers were convicted of depriving Floyd of his civil rights and sentenced in July to between two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half years in prison.
Reuters
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