A former Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd has been released from jail after posting $750,00 bond.
Tou Thao, who was fired from his job after Floyd’s Memorial Day death, left prison late Saturday morning. Thao was one of the officers involved in arresting Floyd, during which he was filmed standing between bystanders and three of his fellow now-former officers.
Floyd, an unarmed black man, died after Officer Derek Chauvin — who has since been charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter — knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest over an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.
Three other officers were involved in the arrest, each of whom have now been released from prison on bail. Thao, Thomas Lane, and J. Alexander Kueng face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder, as well as aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
When video of the incident reached social media, it spread quickly and widely, sparking protests across the country against systemic racism and police brutality. Calls to fire the officers involved and prosecute them quickly followed.
Chauvin remains in custody on a $1 million bond.
