Thomas Lane Gets 2 1/2 Years for Role in George Floyd Killing
FILE - This June 3, 2020, file photo, provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office in Minnesota, shows Thomas Lane is shown. A judge has sentenced Lane to 2 1/2 years in prison Thursday, July 21, 2022, on a federal civil rights charge for his role in the killing of George Floyd. (Hennepin County Sheriff's Office via AP, file)
Listen to this article here
The Black Wall Street Times

Sign-Up for a free subscription to The Black Wall Street Times‘ daily newsletter, Black Editors’ Edition (BEE) – our curated news selections & opinions by us for you.

Thomas Lane was sentenced to 2 ½ years in federal prison Thursday for his role in the George Floyd killing.

U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson sentenced Lane for his February conviction of violating Floyd’s civil rights.

“Mr. Lane this is a very serious offense, in which a life was lost,” Magnuson said. “The fact that you did not get up and remove Mr. Chauvin when Mr. Floyd became unconscious is a violation of the law.”

Lane was convicted alongside former officers J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao for violating Floyd’s civil rights.

Federal prosecutors sought a sentence of up to 6 ½ years, while Lane’s attorney’s asked for a little over two years claiming he was the least culpable of the officers.

FILE – In this image from surveillance video, Minneapolis police Officers from left, Tou Thao, Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane are seen attempting to take George Floyd into custody in Minneapolis, Minn on May 25, 2020. Three former Minneapolis officers headed to trial this week on federal civil rights charges in the death of George Floyd aren’t as familiar to most people as Chauvin, a fellow officer who was convicted of murder last spring. (Court TV via AP, Pool, File)
FILE – In this image from surveillance video, Minneapolis police Officers from left, Tou Thao, Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane are seen attempting to take George Floyd into custody in Minneapolis, Minn on May 25, 2020. Three former Minneapolis officers headed to trial this week on federal civil rights charges in the death of George Floyd aren’t as familiar to most people as Chauvin, a fellow officer who was convicted of murder last spring. (Court TV via AP, Pool, File)

Thomas Lane Sentence Proceeds Remaining Two Officer’s Sentencing

The remaining two officers, Kueng and Thao have yet to receive their federal sentencing for their role in the George Floyd killing.

Magnuson has yet to sentence Kueng and Thao for their federal convictions, but is expected to hand down “substantially higher” sentences than Lane’s.

Magnuson is the same federal judge who sentenced Derek Chauvin to 21 years in federal prison for violating Floyd’s civil rights two weeks ago.

“I really don’t know why you did what you did,” Magnuson told Chauvin. “To put your knee on a person’s neck until they expired is simply wrong…Your conduct is wrong and it is offensive.”

Chauvin will have to serve at least 18 years of the 21 year sentence in federal prison.

All three accomplices still face state charges in the coming months.

Three ex-officers involved in George Floyd's death reject plea deal
FILE – This combination of photos provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota on June 3, 2020, shows, from left, former Minneapolis police officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. The former policer officers have been convicted of violating George Floyd’s civil rights when Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes as the 46-year-old Black man was handcuffed and facedown on the street on May 25, 2020. A Minnesota judge will hear arguments Monday, April 11, 2022 on whether to allow live video coverage of the upcoming trial of the three former Minneapolis police officers charged in the murder of George Floyd. (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office via AP, File)
FILE – This combination of photos provided by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota on June 3, 2020, shows, from left, former Minneapolis police officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. The former policer officers have been convicted of violating George Floyd’s civil rights when Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes as the 46-year-old Black man was handcuffed and facedown on the street on May 25, 2020. A Minnesota judge will hear arguments Monday, April 11, 2022 on whether to allow live video coverage of the upcoming trial of the three former Minneapolis police officers charged in the murder of George Floyd. (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office via AP, File)

Lane pled guilty to a reduced charge of aiding and abetting manslaughter in state court and faces sentencing on September 21.

Kueng and Thao turned down plea deals and will go to trial for state charges on October 24. Both men face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Mike Creef is a fighter for equality and justice for all. Growing up bi-racial (Jamaican-American) on the east coast allowed him to experience many different cultures and beliefs that helped give him a...