Thomas Lane, one of the former Minneapolis police officers responsible for George Floyd’s 2020 death, was released from prison on Tuesday (August 20). Ex-cop Derek Chauvin murdered Floyd during an infamous arrest in Minnesota. Lane assisted in the deadly restraint of the victim.
Lane is the first man involved in Floyd’s death to be released from prison. The former officer was convicted of violating Floyd’s civil rights in 2022. Lane was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison. He was also found guilty on state charges of aiding and abetting manslaughter. A judge sentenced him to three years in prison with two years served concurrently with his federal sentence.
“The tragic death of George Floyd makes clear the fatal consequences that can result from a police officer’s failure to intervene to protect people in their custody,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “Had this defendant and other officers on the scene with Derek Chauvin taken simple steps, George Floyd would be alive today. This sentence should send a message that protecting people in custody is the affirmative duty and obligation of every law enforcement officer, regardless of one’s rank or seniority.”
Lane’s federal sentence ended in February. He stayed in a Colorado prison to finish serving time for his state-level charges. He will be on supervised release for one year.
J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, two other ex-cops convicted for their roles in Floyd’s death, are expected to be released from prison in 2025. Kueng and Thao were guilty of the same charges as Lane.
Chauvin received the harshest punishment for Floyd’s death. Chauvin was the cop who knelt on Floyd’s neck for roughly nine minutes. The disgraced officer was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He was sentenced to 22 and a half years behind bars.