Ex-Minneapolis police officer sentenced in George Floyd case

Cami Mondeaux

December 09, 02:43 PM December 09, 02:43 PM

One of the former Minneapolis police officers who kneeled on George Floyd’s back during his arrest in May 2020 was sentenced to three and a half years in prison on Friday, bringing the cases regarding Floyd's death one step closer to being fully resolved.

J. Alexander Kueng pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in October, entering into a plea deal on the day jury selection was set to begin for his state trial. The plea deal allowed the former police officer to avoid a trial altogether, leaving his fate in the hands of a judge instead.

JUDGE DELAYS TRIAL FOR TWO EX-MINNEAPOLIS OFFICERS CHARGED IN GEORGE FLOYD KILLING

Kueng initially faced a second charge of aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder, but that charge was dropped as part of his plea agreement. As part of the deal, Kueng admitted to knowingly holding Floyd in a position that created substantial risk despite knowing the restraint was unreasonable under the circumstances.

The former officer's sentencing comes after some scheduling confusion Friday morning that resulted in an hourslong delay. The sentencing was set to take place on Friday morning, but was later pushed to 1 p.m. local time after the Bureau of Prisons failed to appear for the initial virtual meeting.

Kueng will serve his prison sentence at the same time as his three-year federal sentence, which he received when he was convicted on federal charges in February for depriving Floyd of the right to access medical care and failing to intervene.

Kueng kneeled on Floyd’s back during his May 2020 arrest, which ended in the black man’s death after former officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nine and a half minutes despite Floyd repeatedly telling the officers he couldn’t breathe. Floyd’s death was caught on camera and sparked global outrage as part of a broader call for racial justice.

Both Kueng and Chauvin, as well as former officer Thomas Lane who held Floyd’s legs and Tou Thao who kept bystanders from intervening, have been fired and face state and federal charges. Only Thao's state case is still pending.