The last former police officer involved in George Floyd’s death has been sentenced for his role in the police killing.
According to The Associated Press, former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao, who was convicted for his role in the killing of George Floyd, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison on Aug. 7, 2023. The police officer stood idly by as his fellow police officer, Derek Chauvin, placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes while the Black man died. Thao told the judge he was just a “human traffic cone” when he was on the scene. Although Floyd stated he couldn’t breathe and pleaded for his life on that tragic day on May 25, 2020, Thao did nothing to help Floyd or to stop Chauvin from killing him.
Thao was found guilty in May 2023 of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
Given the opportunity to speak before the court, Thao never took responsibility for his lack of action and stated he never intended to hurt anyone on that day. He told Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill that he had grown as a Christian during his 340 days in jail but denied any responsibility for Floyd’s death.
“I did not commit these crimes,” Thao said in court. “My conscience is clear. I will not be a Judas nor join a mob in self-preservation or betray my God.”
Judge Cahill stated he would have liked to have heard some repentance from the former police officer at the sentencing and admonished Thao for not taking the opportunity to do so.
“After three years of reflection, I was hoping for a little more remorse, regret, acknowledgment of some responsibility — and less preaching,” he said.
Thao was sentenced to 57 months in prison. The standard sentence is 48 months. Prosecutors requested 51 months, while Thao’s attorney, Robert Paule, had asked for 41 months.
His time will run concurrently with a three 1/2-year sentence he is currently serving for his conviction on a federal civil rights charge. The former police officer appealed the decision, but it was upheld. Thao will remain in federal prison to complete that sentence, and after finishing, he will be transferred to a Minnesota state prison to serve out the remaining sentence with credit for time served.
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