A former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane who was a collaborator of Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd has been sentenced to three years in prison as part of a plea deal.
Lane was sentenced on Wednesday during a 10-minute virtual hearing after being charged with second-degree manslaughter and pleaded guilty back in May for his role in Floyd’s death in 2020.
In addition to his new sentence, the former Minneapolis police officer will concurrently serve his 30-month sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights by holding his legs down during an arrest.
According to ABC News, in a video posted on CDN, Lane seemed to be heard ranting on a microphone because he was distraught that he would have to register as a predatory offender.
“That’s what Chauvin has to do. If I have a minimal role, why the f**k do I gotta do that? Jesus Christ,” Lane said to his lawyer, Earl Gray.
However, it was confirmed by a reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune, Kim Hyatt later from Gray that Lane was not required by Minnesota law to register as a predatory offender.
The 39-year-old was one of four Minneapolis police officers arrested in Floyd’s murder. Lane held the victim’s legs while his colleague, Chauvin, kneeled on Floyd’s neck for nine and a half minutes as he yelled “I can’t breathe.”
Thomas Lane during his virtual court hearing
Former police officers Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng will go to trial next after rejecting plea deals offered in August regarding their roles in the killing of Floyd.
Both men have been sentenced for violating Floyd’s civil rights in federal court. According to Blavity, Kueng was sentenced to three years in prison, while Thao received three and a half years.
The recordings of the unjust incident caused outrage nationwide and sparked protests worldwide as people took a stand against racial discrimination.
Recall that on May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the United City city of Minneapolis by Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police office
Chauvin, on June 25, 2021, was sentenced to 22+1⁄2 years in prison (minus the 199 days of credit he received for time served), with the possibility of supervised release.
