One of the three police officers who did nothing when a black American, George Floyd, was killed by Minneapolis police in Minnesota in 2020, pleaded guilty to complicity in the murder, thus avoiding a trial beginning in June, the state Department of Justice announced.
Thomas Lane has admitted responsibility for his role in the assassination of George Floyd, according to a report by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
“Admitting that he did something hurtful is an important step in healing the Floyd family, our community and our country,” he added.
A court spokesman said the former police officer, who is accused of being complicit in the murder, accepted the petition deal after reclassifying the charges during a court hearing in Minneapolis.
Under the terms of the agreement, he faces up to three years in federal prison.
“We hope that the (agreement) will usher in a new era in which police officers will treat some judges as if they were accountable to other citizens,” said Floyd’s lawyer Ben Crump.
His other colleagues, Tu Thao and Alexander Koenig, have pleaded not guilty and their trial is set to begin on June 13.
Three police officers who were present at the time of George Floyd’s arrest were convicted in federal court in February of failing to help an African-American.
The verdict will be released later.
In June 2021, a Minnesota district court sentenced a fourth police officer, Derek Chavez, to 22 and a half years in prison for murder. On May 25, 2020, Chowdhury held Floyd’s knee in his neck for long minutes, causing him to suffocate and kill him.
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