Ex-Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane was sentenced to three years in prison for the death of George Floyd, as part of a plea deal.
The sentencing occurred on Wednesday during a virtual hearing.
Lane was charged with second-degree manslaughter and pleaded guilty back in May for his role in Floyd’s death in 2020.
In addition to his new sentence, the former Minneapolis police officer will concurrently serve his 30-month sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights by holding the civilian’s legs down during an arrest.
In a video published on CDN, Lane can be heard ranting on a microphone because he was upset that he’d have to register as a predatory offender.
“That’s what Chauvin has to do. If I have a minimal role, why the f**k do I gotta do that? Jesus Christ,” Lane said to his lawyer, Earl Gray, according to ABC News.
Kim Hyatt, a reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune, later confirmed with Gray that Lane is not required by Minnesota law to register as a predatory offender.
This exchange at the end of the virtual hearing today caught me by surprise. But I clarified with Thomas Lane’s attorney Early Gray who said that per Judge Cahill’s order, Lane is not required by Minnesota law to register as a predatory offender. https://t.co/xlTRM5MQHa
— Kim Hyatt (@kimvhyatt) September 21, 2022
The 39-year-old was one of four Minneapolis police officers arrested in Floyd’s murder. Lane held the victim’s legs while his colleague, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on Floyd’s neck for nine and a half minutes.
“I can’t breathe,” yelled Floyd.
Despite cries for help, Chauvin kept his knee pressed on Floyd’s neck. Witnesses pleaded for Chauvin to stop and began recording the incident while Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng prevented the crowd from getting involved.
Former police officers Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng will go to trial next after rejecting plea deals offered in August regarding their roles in the killing of Floyd.
Both men have been sentenced for violating Floyd’s civil rights in federal court. According to Blavity, Kueng was sentenced to three years in prison, while Thao received three and a half years.
The recordings of the unjust incident caused outrage nationwide and sparked protests worldwide as people took a stand against racial discrimination.
