Jonathan Allen

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A jury will hear opening statements Monday at the federal civil right trial of three Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd’s death.

Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao are accused of violating Floyd’s civil rights in the May 2020 arrest of a handcuffed Black man outside a Minneapolis grocery shop. Video of this incident sparked protests across the globe against police brutality and racism.

Their former coworker, Derek Chauvin (45), was found guilty last year of manslaughter and murder in Floyd’s passing at the conclusion of a nationally broadcasted state trial. A Minnesota judge sentenced Chauvin to 22-1/2 Years in Prison.

Chauvin, who was white, was charged by federal prosecutors as well with Floyd’s civil rights violations “under the color of law” or while they were police officers. Chauvin changed the plea to guilty in December. Thao, Kueng, and Lane could all face years imprisonment if they are convicted.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division will try to convince the jury that Floyd was “willfully not to assist” them. Floyd fell asleep under Chauvin’s knee. The indictment says https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1392451/download a person under arrest has a right to “be free from a police officer’s deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs.”

Thao and Kueng are facing an additional charge in the indictment. It states that they “willfully failed to” stop Chauvin from using excessive force against Floyd. This violates Floyd’s rights to not be subject to unreasonable seizures.

Thao was a Minneapolis Police Department employee for 8 years. Lane and Kueng helped Floyd to be restrained. They had only joined a few months ago. Chauvin was their field trainer officer. This is something that their defense lawyers will likely emphasize.

Following the federal trial, Floyd’s killers will be tried in state court.