Former Minneapolis police officer sentenced over role in George Floyd’s death

by Brad Dress - 09/21/22 9:14 PM ET

In this image from video, former Minneapolis Police Officer Thomas Lane listens Sept. 21, 2022 from Littleton, Colorado. Lane pleaded guilty to a state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill sentenced Lane to three years. Lane appeared via video from the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood, a low-security federal prison camp. (Minnesota Attorney General’s Office via AP)

A Minnesota judge on Wednesday sentenced former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane to three years in state prison after he was found guilty earlier this year of violating George Floyd’s civil rights.

Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill sentenced Lane after he reached a plea agreement with state prosecutors for a 36-month sentence.

Lane, 39, is already serving a 2 ½ year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s rights when he pinned the 46-year-old Black man down by holding his legs while the officer in charge, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes in May 2020.

Floyd’s death set off worldwide protests against systemic racism and police brutality.

Chauvin is serving more than 22 years in prison on state charges and more than 20 years on federal charges.

Two other officers, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, have also been found guilty of violating Floyd’s civil rights, with Kueng serving three years and Thao serving 3 ½ years, both on federal charges. They have yet to be sentenced on state charges but have been found guilty.

Lane pleaded guilty in May to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.