MINNEAPOLIS: A US court has sentenced Former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao to four years and nine months imprisonment for aiding the killing of George Floyd, an African-American man, on May 25, 2020, Western media reported on Monday.
Reuters reported that Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill handed over the sentence requested by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Tou Thao denied the allegations that another police officer while Derek Chauvin had been kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for about 10 minutes, and used him as a shield to stop the onlookers.
Ex-US officer gets nearly 5-year imprisonment in Floyd killing
During the hearing, Thao said he was distressed by Floyd’s killing but denied any role in it adding his conscience was clear.
Judge Peter Cahill in the order observed Thao separated other officers from the crowd, including an emergency medical technician, allowing his colleagues to continue beating Floyd and preventing bystanders from providing medical aid.
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After the death of George Floyd in 2020, protests and unrest gripped Minneapolis and other cities. In cities across the United States, tens of thousands of people stormed the streets to express their outrage and sorrow against the brutal killing of Floyd by police officers.
