Ex-Minneapolis police officer sentenced to 3 years in George Floyd's murder in US

Former Minneapolis cop Thomas Lane was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to a state charge of abetting manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. Lane is serving a federal sentence of two and a half years for violating Floyd’s civil rights. In the state case, Lane’s attorneys and prosecutors agreed on a recommended sentence of three years, below sentencing guidelines. Prosecutors allowed Lane to serve his sentence simultaneously in federal prison.

Lane appeared for his sentencing hearing at the Federal correctional institution, a prison camp in Littleton, Colorado. Conducted the hearing remotely, and Lane appeared via video conference. Judge Peter Cahill allowed the plea agreement and said he would sentence Lane below the guidelines as he had accepted responsibility.





The judge told Cahill that it was a wise decision on his part to take responsibility and move on with his life. He also acknowledged that the Floyd family had been unable to move on with theirs. Before he was sentenced, Cahill made no statement to the court but raised a complaint after. He complained to his attorney Earl Gray that the judge said he would have to be registered as a predatory offender if required.

In his statement earlier this year, Lane admitted that he was aware that how they had restrained Floyd could lead to his death. He also admitted to hearing Floyd say that he couldn’t breathe and knew Floyd had no pulse when he fell unconscious.

Floyd, 46, died in the year 2020 after he was pinned to the ground and restrained by Officer Derek Chauvin. Chauvin pinned Floyd to the ground with his knee on his neck while Lane held down Floyd’s legs. Two other officers convicted in Floyd’s death, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, kept onlookers from intervening and saving Floyd.

The killing of Floyd sparked worldwide protests against the injustice that was meted out against Floyd. His death also incited protests against racism and police brutality. In the following months, protestors took to the streets in a movement that had not been seen since the civil rights protests of the 1960s.