Ex-Minneapolis Cop Convicted for George Floyd's Death Released from Prison

Former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane has been released from federal prison in Colorado, a major development related to the tragic death of George Floyd

Lane, who was convicted of aiding and abetting manslaughter, served a three-year sentence for his role in the incident that led to Floyd's death on May 25, 2020.

During the fatal encounter, Lane held down Floyd’s legs while Derek Chauvin, another former officer, pinned Floyd to the ground with a knee on his neck for nine and a half minutes.

Despite Floyd's repeated pleas that he couldn't breathe, the officers did not intervene or provide medical aid.

Lane's release marks the first among the four officers involved in Floyd's death. J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, who were also convicted of federal civil rights violations, are set to be released in 2025.

Kueng is currently detained at a federal prison in Ohio, while Thao is held in a facility in Kentucky. Both officers were found guilty of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin's use of unreasonable force and failing to provide necessary medical aid to Floyd.

Derek Chauvin, the primary officer responsible for Floyd's death, was transferred to a federal prison in Texas after being stabbed 22 times by another inmate in a different facility.

Chauvin, who is serving a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights alongside a 22.5-year state sentence for second-degree murder, is making a longshot bid to overturn his federal guilty plea, claiming new evidence shows he didn’t cause Floyd’s death. If unsuccessful, Chauvin will not be released until 2038.

The killing of George Floyd, captured on bystander video, sparked worldwide protests and a reckoning over racial injustice. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized the importance of accountability for law enforcement officers whose actions violate their constitutional duty to protect civil rights.

"George Floyd should be alive today," Garland stated, underscoring the Justice Department's commitment to seeking justice for such violations.

The federal jury's verdict in February 2022, which found the three former officers guilty of federal civil rights offenses, highlighted the systemic issues within the Minneapolis Police Department.

The trial revealed that the officers disregarded their training and willfully violated Floyd's constitutional rights, leading to his untimely death.