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On December 9, Friday, J. Alexander Kueng was sentenced to three and a half years for his role in the death of George Floyd, the 46-year-old man whose death at the hands of police officers sparked worldwide protests in 2020.
As per CNN, former Minneapolis officer J. Alexander Kueng pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in October. Kueng and another officer, Thomas Lane, were accused of restraining Floyd, while Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the victim's neck for nine minutes, reportedly leading to his death. A third former officer, Tou Thao, was accused of warding off bystanders as they noted how Floyd could not breathe.
CNN reported that Kueng is currently incarcerated in Lisbon, Ohio, for three years on a federal charge of violating George Floyd's rights. Judge Peter Cahill said that the former officer will be legally prohibited from carrying firearms and ammunition for the rest of his life.
Additional charges faced by George Floyd's killers
In an official statement made during the December 9 sentencing, attorneys representing the family of George Floyd condemned the officer’s actions.
The statement read:
“The sentencing of Alexander Kueng for his role in the murder of George Floyd delivers yet another piece of justice for the Floyd family."
The statement continued:
“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.”
As per CNN, before the sentencing, prosecutor Matthew Frank told the court:
“It’s not just watching a video of your loved one dying and seeing it on TV over and over again. Throughout these two and a half years, throughout all the court proceedings, we think of them often and we wish them the best in healing and moving forward."
According to ABC, along with Kueng, Thomas Lane was charged with aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Tou Thao's fate is yet to be decided as the case against him is still pending.
Tou Thao had received 3.5 years while Thomas Lane received the shortest sentence of 2.5 years in February for violating Floyd's rights, as Judge Paul A. Magnuson described his role as 'minimal'. Thao, Kueng and Lane were all convicted of the Federal charges.
The primary aggressor in the killing, however, is considered to be Derek Chauvin, who pleaded guilty in December, 2021, to violating George Floyd's rights by ignoring his medical needs. NBC reported that at the same trial, Chauvin also pleaded guilty to violating the rights of a 14-year-old boy in an unrelated 2017 case. On June 25, 2021, he was sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison.
