The police officer who knelt on the back of George Floyd while his colleague knelt on his neck, has been sentenced to prison after entering a plea deal.
J. Alexander Kueng pleaded guilty to the state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in October, and will now face jail for three and a half years in the USA.
Kueng entered a plea deal while charges of aiding and abetting murder were dropped, admitting he held the torso of Mr Floyd and that he knew the substantial risk involved with the way he was being restrained.
READ MORE: Qatar plot bid for Olympic Games after 'success' of World Cup – but it'd be winter again
He is currently serving a federal sentence in Ohio for violating Mr Floyd’s human rights, although the two sentences will be served simultaneously.
Neither Kueng nor the family of Mr Floyd took their opportunities to speak in court.
Mr Floyd was killed on February 25, 2020 after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over nine minutes.
The brutal killing was caught on camera, with Mr Floyd’s desperate plea of “I can’t breath” becoming a call to arms in protests against racial injustice worldwide.
The leader of the Minnesota attorney general's office, Matthew Frank, said that the prosecution had been focusing on the officers responsible for the death of Mr Floyd.
-
Harry and Meghan are 'social media royals' after meeting 'like Love Islanders'
He said: “Mr Kueng was not simply a bystander that day. He did less than what some of the bystanders attempted to do in helping Mr Floyd”.
The state case against officer Tou Thao, who held crowds back during the horror incident, is still pending.
He previously said to judge Peter Cahill that a guilty plea "would be lying".
Meanwhile, Chauvin was convicted of state murder and manslaughter at the state level for which he is now serving a serving 22 1/2 year sentence.
He is concurrently serving a 21-year sentence at the federal level for violating Mr Floyd’s human rights.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here
READ NEXT:
-
Netflix slammed after expert debunks Harry and Meghan 'fake' press intrusion pic
-
Meghan and Harry have blown privacy 'out of the water' with upcoming Netflix doc
-
Meghan and Harry 'fear losing influence' and 'can't stay out of limelight', says expert
-
Princess Diana's ex-butler Paul Burrell demands Harry and Meghan be stripped of titles
-
Kate Middleton to lead royal 'united front' at service as Harry and Meghan's Netflix finale airs
Source: Read Full Article
