Factbox: After Chauvin, Minnesota Set To Prosecute Three Other Officers in Floyd Death

With the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of 👤George Floyd on Tuesday, prosecutors will begin turning their attention to making their case against three others who took part in the fatal arrest.

Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, all of whom were fired and arrested days after Floyd died last May, face charges at a trial on Aug. 23 that they aided and abetted second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter of Floyd.

Aiding and abetting murder is punishable by up to 40 years in prison, although sentencing guidelines can reduce the maximum to 15 years.

The following is a summary of Minnesota prosecutors’ allegations against each of the men, all of whom are free on $750,000 bail:

ALEXANDER KUENG, 27

Kueng and Lane were the first officers to arrive outside the food store where Floyd was accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. Kueng had graduated from the police academy in 2019 and started as an officer in December.

During the fatal encounter, prosecutors said Kueng was between Chauvin and Lane, kneeling on Floyd’s back, with his hand on Floyd’s handcuffed left wrist.

After Floyd became unresponsive, it was Kueng who checked the right wrist for a pulse and said, “I couldn’t find one,” prosecutors said in their complaint. None of the officers moved from their positions, the complaint said.

THOMAS LANE, 38

Having arrived at the scene with Kueng, it was Lane who ordered Floyd out of his car and handcuffed him, prosecutors said. He had been on the police force for only a matter of days.

Chauvin, Kueng and Lane each used their weight to restrain Floyd on the ground after he balked at getting into the back of a squad car. Lane was positioned on his legs, “kneeling on them and pressing them down with his hands,” according to the complaint.