Tou Thao (Image source: Youtube – MSNBC)
One of the former Minneapolis police officers who held back the crowd as convicted murderer Derek Chauvin took the life of George Floyd on Memorial Day 2020, has been sentenced.
Ex-officer Tou Thao was slapped with prison time amounting to four years and eight months for not preventing the live execution of Floyd, who suffocated to death under the crushing weight of Chauvin’s knee. He was convicted of aiding and abetting in second-degree murder. According to the multiple reports disseminated at that time, Thao was holding people back and even prevented a firefighter from rendering aid to Floyd as his life slipped away.
Prior to being sentenced, Thao addressed the court, according to CNN:
“Obviously, on that day, we didn’t intend on — I didn’t intend on doing any malice or anything like that, or try to hurt anyone. That was never my intent. I did the best I thought I could,” he said. “Obviously. the outcome didn’t come out the way I wanted it, so I’ll leave it at that.”
Hennepin County Judge Peter A. Cahill expressed disappointment with Thao’s apparent lack of contrition in his address.
“Mr. Thao, to be perfectly honest, after three years of reflection, I was hoping for a little more remorse, regret, acknowledgment of some responsibility and less preaching,” he said.
“Suffice it to say that I think your culpability is less than Mr. Chauvin, but well above Mr. Kueng and Mr. Lane, as an experienced senior officer who was in the best position to save George Floyd. Accordingly, it’s my belief that a sentence at the top of the [sentencing]range would be condign punishment.”
