A former Minneapolis police officer was sentenced Monday to nearly five years in prison for his role in the death of George Floyd.
In the final verdict in the case, Deng Tao was sentenced to four years and nine months in state prison for second-degree manslaughter and aiding and abetting Ms. Floyd in May 2020, The New York Times said. reported. report.
A Minneapolis judge has sentenced a former police officer to four years and nine months in state prison for stopping bystanders while other officers were holding George Floyd. This is the final verdict for the murder of Floyd. https://t.co/9p3n40EQA7 pic.twitter.com/cTWcI7iASh
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 7, 2023
Floyd was killed on a sidewalk in Minneapolis in May 2020 after being detained by Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kuen. While Chauvin pressed his knees against Floyd’s neck and back, Tao himself did not physically restrain Floyd, but held onlookers concerned about Floyd’s condition for more than nine minutes, the newspaper said. reported.
Floyd’s death sparked protests in the summer of 2020, sparking the “Give the Police Money Back” movement across the country.
“Obviously, that day we had no intention of acting malicious or otherwise, or trying to hurt anyone. It was never my intention. I did the best I could. ,” Tao said at the sentencing. “Obviously the result was not what I wanted, so I’ll leave it at that,” he continued. according to CNN.
Hennepin County Judge Peter A. Cahill was less than welcoming of his comments, but said he expected “a little more remorse, regret and some acknowledgment” of Floyd’s death. I told Mr. Tao.
“Suffice it to say, as an experienced senior officer who was in a prime position to save George Floyd, I feel your responsibility is less than Mr. Chauvin’s, but much higher than Mr. Quen and Mr. Lane. Therefore, I believe any sentencing that hits the high end of the[sentencing]range will result in a conviction,” Cahill said, the paper reported. (Related: Derek Chauvin sentenced to 22½ years in prison for George Floyd’s death)
Tao, who was convicted in February 2022 of Floyd’s civil rights violations, has already served a three-and-a-half-year federal sentence and will also serve state sentences alongside his federal sentence, according to CNN reports. It is planned.
