Advertisement

Two former cops reject plea deal in George Floyd case

Former Minneapolis police officers Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng rejected a plea deal in a state trial for their role in the killing of George Floyd. File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
1 of 5 | Former Minneapolis police officers Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng rejected a plea deal in a state trial for their role in the killing of George Floyd. File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License Photo

Aug. 15 (UPI) -- The two remaining former officers still awaiting trial on state charges for their role in the killing of George Floyd rejected a plea deal Monday.

Former Minneapolis police officers Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng -- both facing charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter -- turned down the state plea deal that would have recommended a three-year prison sentence and dropped the aiding and abetting charge.

Advertisement

Under the proposed plea deal, the officers' state sentences would also be served concurrently with their federal sentences.

In July, Thao was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison and Kueng was sentenced to three years for violating Floyd's civil rights. A third officer, Thomas Lane, was also sentenced to 30 months in prison for violating Floyd's civil rights as fellow officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly 10 minutes.

Lane pleaded guilty in May, accepting the same plea deal made to the other officers. He is still awaiting sentencing.

The Minnesota attorney general's office had said in April that the men had rejected a plea deal from the state and lead prosecutor Matthew Frank said the plea offers were identical and made in March.

Advertisement

Thao and Kueng plan to appeal the civil rights convictions and Thao on Monday told Judge Peter Cahill it would be "a lie and a sin" for him to accept the plea deal.

Both men could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted on the aiding and abetting charge when the state case goes to trial this fall.

Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison after he was convicted on second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter and sentenced to an additional 20 years after pleading guilty to federal charges for violating Floyd's civil rights.

Latest Headlines