Derek Chauvin jailed for 270 months over George Floyd's murder
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Former Minneapolis cop J Alexander Kueng who knelt on George Floyd’s back has been jailed for three-and-a-half years after he pleaded guilty to a state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in October. Mr Kueng appeared in court via a video feed from a low-security federal prison in Ohio, after admitting to holding down Floyd's upper body in a manner that was not appropriate on May 25, 2020.
When asked if he had any remarks to the court, Kueng replied: “Nothing your honour, thank you.”
Prosecutor Matthew Frank told the court before sentencing: “I really can’t come close to comprehending what the family and friends of George Floyd have had to go through.
“It’s not just watching a video of your loved one dying and seeing it on TV over and over again.
"Throughout these two and a half years, throughout all the court proceedings, we think of them often and we wish them the best in healing and moving forward.”
He added that Floyd was a “crime victim” and Kueng “was not simply a bystander in what happened that day”.
Mr Floyd was killed by police in May 2020 while lying prone and handcuffed.
His death sparked global outrage and a wave of demonstrations against racial injustice and police use of force.
Kueng will serve his new sentence for state charges concurrently with a previous federal sentence for violating Mr Floyd's civil rights.
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Video footage of the arrest shows Kueng and Thomas Lane assisting Derek Chauvin by helping to hold Mr Floyd down.
Tou Thao, meanwhile, kept concerned bystanders away. Chauvin was a field training officer to both Lane and Kueng.
After Keung's guilty plea in October, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said: "J Alexander Kueng is now the second officer involved in Floyd’s death to accept responsibility through a guilty plea.
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"That acknowledgement hopefully can bring comfort to Floyd’s family and bring our communities closer to a new era of accountability and justice."
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The former officer is currently serving time for violating Floyd's civil rights and the two sentences will be served at the same time.
In a statement, attorneys representing Floyd's family said that the sentencing represents "yet another piece of justice for the Floyd family".
The statement added: “While the family faces yet another holiday season without George, we hope that moments like these continue to bring them a measure of peace, knowing that George's death was not in vain.”
