A former police officer pleaded guilty the day he was set to go to trial for charges relating to George Floyd’s death.
J. Alexander Kueng, 29, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of aiding and abetting in manslaughter. His attorney and prosecutors agreed to recommend a 42-month prison sentence, according to ABC News. By doing so, the prosecution dropped a second charge of aiding and abetting in second-degree unintentional murder.
Kueng and Tou Thao, also a former police officer, were set to stand trial on Monday for state charges for their actions while Derek Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes as Floyd said he could not breathe. Thao had kept bystanders away from the scene, and Kueng helped hold Floyd down alongside Chauvin during the encounter and was later unable to detect Floyd’s pulse, officials say.
TWO FORMER POLICE OFFICERS SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR VIOLATING GEORGE FLOYD’S CIVIL RIGHTS
The two refused a plea deal in August that would have given them three-year prison sentences for state charges. They had already faced sentencing for some of the federal charges levied against them over Floyd’s death.
Monday’s trial was set to begin with jury selection when the defense announced his plea agreement. Judge Peter Cahill asked Kueng whether he understood the plea agreement and told him that he has the right to have a trial. Kueng said he understood the agreement and that no one had threatened him to accept it. In response, Cahill ordered a pre-sentencing investigation.
“J. Alexander Kueng is now the second officer involved in Floyd’s death to accept responsibility through a guilty plea. That acknowledgment hopefully can bring comfort to Floyd’s family and bring our communities closer to a new era of accountability and justice,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement, per ABC News.
Thao is proceeding with the trial, but he is asking Cahill to make a decision based upon evidence submitted by his attorney and the prosecution, rather than having a jury render a verdict, according to a spokesperson from the Hennepin County Courts.
Ellison said Cahill would only decide a verdict for Thao on the charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
Prosecutors have decided to wait on the more serious charge of aiding and abetting second-degree murder until Cahill reaches a decision in what will now be a bench trial, Ellison said. If Thao is convicted of manslaughter, Ellison said the state has agreed to dismiss the charge of aiding and abetting in second-degree murder.
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Cahill gave both sides until Nov. 17 to present any evidence and can take up to 90 days after to determine a verdict.
A sentencing date for Kueng has not been set.
