Police Officer Sentenced to 3.5 Years for Role in George Floyd's Death
Nearly 3 years after the death of George Floyd, a police accomplice to manslaughter is sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for his crimes.
On Friday, December 9th, 2022, former police officer J. Alexander Kueng was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for his role in George Floyd's death. Kueng assisted Officer Derek Chauvin in holding Floyd down while he knelt on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes. Kueng pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter; a death which took place almost 3 years ago (March 25, 2020). Kueng did not address the court.
George Floyd was a 46-year-old African American man who was just another normal American citizen. On the evening of March 25, 2020, Floyd went to his local convenience store in south Minneapolis to buy a pack of cigarettes. When purchasing the pack, the clerk believed that he had tried to pay with a counterfeit $20 bill. Police were called after Floyd denied the faulty bill accusations and was unwilling to return the pack of cigarettes to the store. Officers proceeded to put him in handcuffs and move him to the back of the squad car. However, Floyd resisted because he had no intention of committing a felony that night. Floyd was then forced onto the ground by 4 police officers, one of which (Chauvin) was kneeling on his neck for almost 10 minutes. Bystander evidence and statements show us that Floyd did nothing to deserve this, and was merely confused about why he was singled out by not only the clerk, but the police as well; the very people who are supposed to protect him and his community. Videos show that Floyd was repetitively saying “I can’t breathe” throughout his forced position on the ground. Bystander video proof quickly went viral. In a later trial, it was said that another former officer, Thomas Lane, started CPR about five minutes after Kueng said he could not find a pulse.
The death of George Floyd was a shocking event that initiated the Black Lives Matter movement and the many protests still taking place to this day. “I really can’t come close to comprehending what the family and friends of George Floyd have had to go through,” prosecutor Matthew Frank told the court. “The sentencing of Alexander Kueng for his role in the murder of George Floyd delivers yet another piece of justice for the Floyd family,” said attorneys Ben Crump, Antonio Romanucci, and Jeff Storms in a joint statement (who represent Floyd’s family).
All four former officers have now received their punishments. Derek Chauvin received a total of 21 years in prison for depriving George Floyd of his 6th amendment rights. J. Alexander Kueng, Tou Thao, and Thomas Lane received 3 and 3 ½ years in prison for violating civil rights and failure to intervene.
George Floyd was not the only victim of police brutality by race, but 1 in thousands of people across the country.
George Floyd was a 46-year-old African American man who was just another normal American citizen. On the evening of March 25, 2020, Floyd went to his local convenience store in south Minneapolis to buy a pack of cigarettes. When purchasing the pack, the clerk believed that he had tried to pay with a counterfeit $20 bill. Police were called after Floyd denied the faulty bill accusations and was unwilling to return the pack of cigarettes to the store. Officers proceeded to put him in handcuffs and move him to the back of the squad car. However, Floyd resisted because he had no intention of committing a felony that night. Floyd was then forced onto the ground by 4 police officers, one of which (Chauvin) was kneeling on his neck for almost 10 minutes. Bystander evidence and statements show us that Floyd did nothing to deserve this, and was merely confused about why he was singled out by not only the clerk, but the police as well; the very people who are supposed to protect him and his community. Videos show that Floyd was repetitively saying “I can’t breathe” throughout his forced position on the ground. Bystander video proof quickly went viral. In a later trial, it was said that another former officer, Thomas Lane, started CPR about five minutes after Kueng said he could not find a pulse.
The death of George Floyd was a shocking event that initiated the Black Lives Matter movement and the many protests still taking place to this day. “I really can’t come close to comprehending what the family and friends of George Floyd have had to go through,” prosecutor Matthew Frank told the court. “The sentencing of Alexander Kueng for his role in the murder of George Floyd delivers yet another piece of justice for the Floyd family,” said attorneys Ben Crump, Antonio Romanucci, and Jeff Storms in a joint statement (who represent Floyd’s family).
All four former officers have now received their punishments. Derek Chauvin received a total of 21 years in prison for depriving George Floyd of his 6th amendment rights. J. Alexander Kueng, Tou Thao, and Thomas Lane received 3 and 3 ½ years in prison for violating civil rights and failure to intervene.
George Floyd was not the only victim of police brutality by race, but 1 in thousands of people across the country.
Works Cited
Jones, Julia, and Christina Maxouris. “George Floyd Death: 3 Former Minneapolis Police Officers Found Guilty of Violating His Civil Rights | CNN.” CNN, CNN, 24 Feb. 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/24/us/george-floyd-federal-civil-rights-trial-jury-thursday/index.html.
Levenson, Eric, and Bill Kirkos. “J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao: Two Ex-Officers Who Restrained George Floyd Sentenced to 3 Years and 3.5 Years in Federal Prison | CNN.” CNN, CNN, 27 July 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/27/us/tou-thao-kueng-george-floyd-sentence/index.html.
“George Floyd: Ex-Officer J Alexander Kueng Sentenced for Manslaughter - BBC News.” BBC News, BBC News, 9 Dec. 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63923234.
Sanchez, Ray, and Brad Parks. “J. Alexander Kueng, Former Minneapolis Police Officer Who Helped Restrain George Floyd, Sentenced to 3 ½ Years in Prison | CNN.” CNN, CNN, 9 Dec. 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/09/us/george-floyd-alexander-kueng-sentencing/index.html.
Jones, Julia, and Christina Maxouris. “George Floyd Death: 3 Former Minneapolis Police Officers Found Guilty of Violating His Civil Rights | CNN.” CNN, CNN, 24 Feb. 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/24/us/george-floyd-federal-civil-rights-trial-jury-thursday/index.html.
Levenson, Eric, and Bill Kirkos. “J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao: Two Ex-Officers Who Restrained George Floyd Sentenced to 3 Years and 3.5 Years in Federal Prison | CNN.” CNN, CNN, 27 July 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/27/us/tou-thao-kueng-george-floyd-sentence/index.html.
“George Floyd: Ex-Officer J Alexander Kueng Sentenced for Manslaughter - BBC News.” BBC News, BBC News, 9 Dec. 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-63923234.
Sanchez, Ray, and Brad Parks. “J. Alexander Kueng, Former Minneapolis Police Officer Who Helped Restrain George Floyd, Sentenced to 3 ½ Years in Prison | CNN.” CNN, CNN, 9 Dec. 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/09/us/george-floyd-alexander-kueng-sentencing/index.html.