George Floyd killing: Minnesota ex-cop handed state sentence

Former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison on Monday for his role in the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

He is the fourth and final ex-police officer to be sentenced over the killing.

A state judge found Thao guilty in May of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

The sentence handed down on Monday was more severe than the four years and six months requested by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison for Thao.

The state sentence will run concurrently with Thao's existing federal sentence of three and a half years.

Officer's actions deemed 'unreasonable'

In his testimony, Thao claimed he merely served as a "human traffic cone" while Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, knelt on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes.

"I did not commit these crimes," Thao said. "My conscience is clear. I will not be a Judas nor join a mob in self-preservation or betray my God."

But Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill wrote in his May ruling that Thao separated the officers from bystanders who could have performed first aid, including an emergency medical technician.

"There is proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Thao's actions were objectively unreasonable from the perspective of a reasonable police officer, when viewed under the totality of the circumstances," Cahill wrote.

"Thao's actions were even more unreasonable in light of the fact that he was under a duty to intervene to stop the other officers' excessive use of force and was trained to render medical aid," he added.

Chauvin was found guilty of murder last year and sentenced to 22 and a half years. He also received a concurrent federal sentence of 21 years for violating Floyd's civil rights.

Two other officers at the scene, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, restrained Floyd's knees and buttocks.

They received state sentences of three years and three and a half years, respectively, for aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. They too received concurrent federal sentences for violating Floyd's civil rights.

Floyd's final words 'reverberated across the globe'

Footage captured at the time recorded Floyd's fading cries of "I can't breathe."

The death of a Black man in police custody sparked outrage in the United States well as protests around the world.

Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Erin Eldridge said during the hearing that Floyd's final words "reverberated across the globe."

She said Floyd "narrated his own death over the course of a restraint that lasted more than nine long minutes until he lost consciousness, stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating."

zc/wd (AP, Reuters)