He concluded: “Thao’s actions were even more unreasonable in light of the fact that he was under a duty to intervene to stop the other officers’ excessive use of force and was trained to render medical aid.” “There is proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Thao’s actions were objectively unreasonable from the perspective of a reasonable police officer, when viewed under the totality of the circumstances,” Cahill wrote. In his 177-page ruling that Thao was guilty, Cahill said Thao’s actions separated Chauvin and two other former officers from the crowd, allowing his colleagues to continue restraining Floyd and preventing bystanders from providing medical aid. Prosecutors left the courthouse without commenting to reporters. Apart from four relatives or friends of Thao, most of the people in the courtroom were journalists. Eldridge told the court they wanted to grieve in private. While Floyd family members were a frequent presence during earlier proceedings, none were in the courtroom for Thao’s sentencing. The hearing, which lasted just over half an hour, reflected how the legal cases flowing from Floyd’s murder are winding down. In rambling remarks full of biblical references, he drew parallels with the sufferings and false accusations endured by Job and Jesus. He spoke at length about his growth as a Christian during his 340 days behind bars but denied any responsibility for Floyd’s death. Thao had previously testified that he merely served as a “human traffic cone” when he held back concerned bystanders who gathered as former Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, knelt on Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes while the Black man pleaded for his life on May 25, 2020.Ī bystander video captured Floyd’s fading cries of “I can’t breathe.” Floyd’s murder touched off protests worldwide and forced a national reckoning of police brutality and racism.Īt his sentencing hearing, Thao said he never intended to hurt anyone that day. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Tou Thao, the last former Minneapolis police officer convicted in state court for his role in the killing of George Floyd, did not show any repentance or admit any wrongdoing as he was sentenced Monday to 4 years and 9 months.
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