Former Minneapolis cop Thomas Lane pleaded guilty[/B] to second-degree murder[/B] related to his role in the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said.
"I am pleased that Thomas Lane has accepted responsibility for his role in Floyd's death," Ellison said. "His admission that he did something wrong is an important step toward healing the wounds of the Floyd family, our community and the nation. This is an important moment in this case and a necessary resolution in our path to justice."
Complicity and aiding and abetting in the Floyd murder
Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng were facing charges of aiding and abetting manslaughter for their actions - or omissions - as their colleague Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into the neck and back of Floyd, who was handcuffed and lying prone, for more than nine minutes.
During the arrest, Lane held Floyd's legs, Kueng held Floyd's torso, and Thao stood nearby and held the crowd of upset bystanders back.
The shocking video taken by a bystander showed Floyd desperately begging them to let him breathe and sparked an international movement of protest against the way police treat black citizens.
Change of attitude
Lane, Thou and Kueng had pleaded not guilty to the state's charges and rejected a plea deal with prosecutors last month, the attorney general's office said.
Thou and Kueng are still expected to be tried in a state trial next month.
The three former officers were previously convicted in federal court in February of violating Floyd's civil rights. At that trial, Lane testified that he twice asked Chauvin to change the manner of his arrest, but was twice denied.
Chauvin was sentenced last year in state court for Floyd's murder to more than 22 years in prison. As part of a plea deal, Chauvin pleaded guilty in December to federal civil rights charges related to Floyd's death and lumping a teenager into a separate incident.
Source: in.gr
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