Former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao has been sentenced to 4-3/4 years in prison for aiding and abetting manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Floyd, a Black man, died after another officer, Derek Chauvin, pinned his neck to the ground with his knee during an arrest.
The sentence, delivered by Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill, exceeds the 4-1/4 years requested by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Judge Cahill expressed his disappointment with Thao’s lack of remorse and acknowledgment of responsibility before announcing the sentence.
This sentence will be served concurrently with the 3-1/2 years Thao previously received for a federal conviction of violating George Floyd’s civil rights.
In May, Judge Cahill found Thao guilty of aiding and abetting manslaughter in the second degree for his involvement in Floyd’s death. Thao, a nine-year veteran of the police force, was the last of the four officers sentenced in connection with the killing.
Thao stated in court before being sentenced, “I didn’t intend on doing any malice or… try to hurt anyone. That was never my intent. I did the best that I thought I could.”
The incident took place on May 25, 2020, when Chauvin, a white officer, knelt on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes. Thao stood back and prevented bystanders from intervening, while Chauvin and two other officers restrained Floyd, who was suspected of using a counterfeit $20 bill.
The killing sparked widespread protests against racism and police brutality both in the United States and around the world.
Thao’s lawyers have not yet commented on the sentence.
The other two officers present at the scene, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, held down Floyd’s knees and buttocks while Chauvin knelt on his neck. Lane and Kueng pled guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in state court last year. Lane received a sentence of 3-1/2 years, while Kueng received three years.
At a federal trial, Lane and Kueng were also found guilty of violating George Floyd’s civil rights. Lane received a 2-1/2-year federal prison sentence, while Kueng received three years, to be served concurrently with their state sentences.
Chauvin, who directly caused Floyd’s death, was sentenced to 22-1/2 years in state prison for unintentional second-degree murder. He also received a concurrent 21-year prison sentence on federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights.