Guilty Verdict for Former Officers in George Floyd Murder
"These officers tried to devise any excuse that could let them wash the blood from their hands, but following these verdicts George’s blood will forever stain them." -Benjamin Crump, attorney for the Floyd family
(Alexi Rosenfeld via Getty Images)
A federal jury in St. Paul, Minnesota found ex-Minneapolis police officers Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane guilty of violating George Floyd’s civil rights.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and co-counsel Antonio Romanucci and Jeff Storms issued the following statement Thursday in response to the verdict:
“Today closes another important chapter in our journey for justice for George Floyd and his family. These officers tried to devise any excuse that could let them wash the blood from their hands, but following these verdicts George’s blood will forever stain them. Today’s guilty verdicts should serve as the guiding example of why police departments across America should expand and prioritize instruction on an officer’s duty to intervene and recognize when a fellow officer is using excessive force,” said the Floyd family legal team.
The charges resulted from the cops’ conduct when former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck and back while he was handcuffed and lying on the pavement on his stomach. His body and legs were held down by Kueng and Lane, both rookie officers, while Thao stood nearby and kept a crowd of bystanders back.
“The Floyd family will have to relive the traumatic disregard for George’s life once again in June, when these officers will stand trial in state court. We hope, and we expect, that these officers will once again be held accountable for their lack of humanity,” Crump said.
The officers will stand trial in state court in June.