(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
The Murder of George Floyd Is Still Playing Out In A Minnesota Courtroom [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-08-07
Three years and two-plus months since the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, the fallout continues. Former MPD officer Tou Thao was sentenced in state district court to nearly five years in prison for his role in Floyd’s death.
Floyd’s death sparked days of rioting not just in Minneapolis, but in cities across the nation.
Thao was the officer who kept bystanders at bay as they pleaded for Floyd’s life under Chauvin’s knee.
District Court Judge Peter Cahill, who presided over Chauvin’s trial and conviction, was unimpressed by Thao’s lack of remorse for his role in Floyd’s death.
"After three years of reflection," Cahill said, "I was hoping for a little more remorse, regret, acknowledgement of some responsibility and less preaching." Cahill said he's not rehashing the facts of the case. "Suffice it to say that I think your culpability is less than Mr. Chauvin, but well above Mr. [Alexander] Kueng and Mr. [Thomas] Lane as an experienced senior officer who was in the best position to save George Floyd."
During his remarks before sentencing, Thao went on an over twenty-minute diatribe mixing Bible verses and religious pronouncements.
At his sentencing hearing, Thao said he never intended to hurt anyone that day. He spoke at length about his growth as a Christian during his 340 days behind bars but denied any responsibility for Floyd's death. In rambling remarks full of biblical references, he drew parallels with the sufferings and false accusations endured by Job and Jesus. “I did not commit these crimes," Thao said. "My conscience is clear. I will not be a Judas nor join a mob in self-preservation or betray my God.”
Thao had previously been convicted on a federal civil rights charge, a conviction recently upheld by an appellate court. His state court sentence will run concurrently with that federal sentence.
Judge Cahill’s entire 177-page ruling can be read here.
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/7/2185896/-The-Murder-of-George-Floyd-Is-Still-Playing-Out-In-A-Minnesota-Courtroom
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
