A few months after the second anniversary of the death of George Floyd for which former police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder, a United States jury convicted three other former officers on Thursday.
Former police officers Tou Thao, 36; J Alexander Kueng, 28; and Thomas Lane, 38, were found guilty of violating Floyd’s civil rights by not helping him when Chauvin pressed his knee for nine minutes on the neck of the black man who was on the ground.
According to a jury, the former police officers were accused of showing “deliberate disregard for the serious medical needs [de Floyd]” during the attempted arrest and subsequent death on May 25, 2020.
His death sparked massive and prolonged protests in the United States and in several countries against racism.
The former officers testified in their own defense at trial and said they did not realize Floyd needed medical attention at the time.
Violating a person’s civil rights carries various penalties, but prosecutors in the case suggested 25 years in federal prison for each of the defendants.
“Human Decency”
Derek Chauvin is currently serving a 22 1/2 year sentence after being found guilty of murder in a trial in April last year.
In December, The former police officer pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges as part of a plea deal.
Video footage of the arrest shows Keung and Lane helping Chauvin restrain Floyd. Thao, meanwhile, keeps away those who came to see what was happening.
During four weeks of hearings, prosecutors argued that “human decency and common sense” should have compelled the men to take action to prevent Floyd’s death.
“It was not a split-second use of force like a gunshot. Not 30 seconds, not one minute, several minutes, 569 seconds,” Assistant US Attorney Manda Sertich said.
But the Defense attorneys claimed the former officers were following orders from a senior police officer.
Chauvin, a 26-year veteran of the force, was a field training police officer for Lane and Kueng.
When Thao was asked why he didn’t tell Chauvin to take his knee off Floyd’s neck, the former police officer testified: “I think I would trust a veteran with so many years of experience to know what to do.”
The jury, made up of 12 people, deliberated for approximately 13 hours before delivering its verdict on Thursday.
In June, The three accused former police officers will return, this time in state court, to face criminal charges for aiding and abetting Chauvin’s actions.
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BBC-NEWS-SRC: https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-internacional-60518588, IMPORTING DATE: 2022-02-25 00:30:05
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