2 ex-officers charged in Floyd’s death cast blame on colleague

MINNEAPOLIS — Attorneys for two former rookie Minneapolis police officers on Thursday rejected accusations that their clients aided and abetted the killing of George Floyd, casting blame instead on a senior officer who allegedly ignored his younger counterparts.

Early signs of a legal defense strategy began to emerge when former Officers J Alexander Kueng, Thomas K. Lane and Tou Thao made their first court appearances in the Memorial Day killing of Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died in police custody.

Each officer is charged with one count of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. The charges allege that they did not intervene when their former colleague and 19-year police veteran, Derek Chauvin, knelt on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, all while Floyd pleaded with them and told them him he couldn’t breathe. All four were fired in the wake of Floyd’s death.

Chauvin, 44, was charged last week and is being held on $1 million bail. He faces second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges and is scheduled to make his first appearance Monday.

On Thursday, Hennepin County District Judge Paul Scoggin set bail for each of the other three at $1 million without conditions, or, $750,000 with conditions. But their initial appearance, normally routine, turned contentious.

“What is my client supposed to do but follow what the (senior) officer says?” Lane’s attorney, Earl Gray, argued in court. “The strength of this case, your honor, in my opinion is extremely weak.”

Assistant Attorney General Matthew Frank, who is prosecuting the case with assistance from the Hennepin County attorney’s office, argued for high bail amounts, noting that the charges were “very serious” and had drawn such intense public interest that the former officers were a flight risk. Each defense attorney rejected the claim, and asked for between $50,000 and $250,000 in bail.

Defense attorneys said Kueng, 26, was working his third shift ever as a full-time officer and Lane, 37, was working his fourth day as a full-time officer on the day they encountered Floyd.

Video of his arrest showed bystanders pleading with the officers to stop as Lane restrained Floyd’s legs and Kueng held onto his back while Floyd, cuffed, lay stomach-down in the street.

A bystander’s video also recorded Thao, 34, standing watch nearby and brushing aside witnesses’ concerns.

“What was (Lane) supposed to do ... go up to Mr. Chauvin and grab him and throw him off?” said Gray, arguing that there was no evidence to charge his client.

Kueng’s attorney, Thomas Plunkett, also attempted to distance his client from Chauvin’s actions.

“At all times Mr. Kueng and Mr. Lane turned their attention to that 19-year veteran ... “Plunkett said. “(Kueng) was trying — they were trying to communicate that this situation needs to change direction.”