Two rookie officers charged in George Floyd’s death were being trained by Derek Chauvin, lawyer says
Jake Dima on June 5, 2020
A lawyer speaking on behalf of former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane on Friday said Lane and former officer J. Alexander Kueng were less than a week into training with Derek Chauvin as their supervisor when George Floyd died.
Lane was on his third shift as an officer and Kueng was on his fourth, and the two spent a week in uniform under Chauvin’s guidance before being charged as co-conspirators in the death of George Floyd, according to The Associated Press. Attorney Earl Gray said Lane had no option but to follow his senior officer’s guidance, and he called the case against him “extremely weak.”
Lane held Floyd’s feet, according to Gray, while Chauvin knelt on his neck for over eight minutes until he was presumed dead. Chauvin — who was promptly fired from the Minneapolis Police Department after the incident, along with the three others — was arrested a few days later and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, the AP reported. His murder charge has since increased to second-degree.
Gray also reportedly said Lane was concerned about Floyd’s well-being and asked Chauvin if he would consider readjusting Floyd’s position two times.
“What was my client supposed to do but follow what his training officer said? Is that aiding and abetting a crime?” Gray asked.
Former officers Lane, Keung and Tou Thao were arrested Wednesday after they were deemed co-conspirators in Floyd’s killing by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. The trio had their bond set at $750,000 a person when they made court appearances the following day.
Gray and Keung’s attorney, Tom Plunkett, requested lower bail from the court, but were denied on the premise that the pair were full officers since December 2019, and were undergoing supervised field training that was necessary before being deemed completely qualified, according to the AP.
Keung, who is black, was born and raised in a black-majority neighborhood. He joined the police department because he “wanted to make his community a better place,” his lawyer said.
There has been talk within the Minneapolis City Council about removing the police department altogether. Keith Ellison’s son, Democratic City Council president Jeremiah Ellison, said Wednesday that the city would “dismantle” the police force and “dramatically rethink” public safety.
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Well, interesting times ahead. If you fail to follow orders you can be charged with insubordination. Most people follow orders. It will be interesting to see how this all goes.
They sure got a lesson on what NOT to do. It’s easy to stand back a say they should’ve stopped their boss. Perhaps they should have, but when in training they were put into a situation where they were damned if they did and damned if they didn’t. Still doesn’t help Floyd either way, but I can understand the rookie cop’s situation.
These two rookie cops should be released from all charges and the idiot who assigned them to a known abuser of power should be locked up instead!!!
I hope they all rot in jail.
The country going to hell! The Muslim ellisons follow Obama’s lead in destroying America! Blue lives matter to all liberal scum!
the Minneapolis police department were trained several years ago in Chicago by Israli training officers with the same skills used against the Palestimians. Chauvin , the trainer of these 3 officers needs to be placed in solitary confinement so he can meditate about what he did to another human being. Also he probably believes in ABORTION> He is probable hateful of the black man from his job as a bouncer. I think he has a Napolean attitude . He is a worm ion my garden. Actually he is not even as good as a worm.
So why didn’t the black police trainee stop him?
Their Rookie status should matter, but it won’t. The three will be sacrificial lambs along with Chauvin to the Mob. This case has been tried and those involved already convicted in the Courtroom of Public Opinion. That’s the problem with continuing and spreading protests and violence. Exactly where in the USA, will the four Officers get a fair trial with an impartial Jury? Right now, No where.
Well, it looks like Minnesota is gonna finally get just what they deserve. The idiots elected Ellison, a radical black Communist agitator to AG and Omar the Somalian idiot who is guilty of fraud. And of course there was that time they elected a “pro” wrestler to be their governor …. Jesse Ventura. What the hell is wrong with you Minnesotians ?? Do the cold, cold winters frostbite your brains ??
Now the clueless spawn of Ellison, who is a council member along with Lisa Bender, council president are calling for dismantling the police dept. Undeniable proof that you can’t fix STUPID.
I’d be interested to know who would replace the Minneapolis police department? Would they have guns? Would they respond to domestic arguments and violence? Traffic accidents? Perhaps they could create an all Black police force to police the Black Population, and an all-white force to police the whites? Maybe that would end racial divisions. Of course, they’d need a Hispanic force, and all other minority people force for all the other identities there are out there. There are certainly no AMERICANS left.
geez how quickly they forgot they are Police Officers
Your comment is right and very good. I agree it with you!
I agree everything in your comment! Dump ass Ellison!
Try sticking to facts….