J Alexander Kueng was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for his role in George Floydit’s death.
The Minneapolis police officer is among four cops charged with the murder of Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died in May 2020 while in police custody. Kueng knelt on Floyd’s back, while another officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on Mr Floyd’s back.
Cellphone footage showed Kueng, Chauvin and his colleague Thomas Lane holding Floyd to the ground, while a fourth officer, Tou Thao, stood to the side while trying to keep the public from intervening. The footage, which sparked global protests against police brutality, captured Floyd pinned to the ground while repeatedly shouting “I can’t breathe”. After officers denied his pleas for nearly 10 minutes, Floyd appeared to lose consciousness. The father-of-five was later taken to hospital, where he was eventually pronounced dead. An official autopsy report ruled his death a homicide.
Last October, Kueng pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. He appeared at Friday’s sentencing hearing via video from an Ohio prison, where he is serving a three-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights. According CNNthe former officer will receive 84 days credit for time served, and both sentences will be served concurrently.
As part of his sentencing, Kueng was also prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition for the rest of his life.
“Alexander Kueng’s conviction for his role in the murder of George Floyd once again brings justice to the Floyd family,” Floyd family attorneys Ben Crump, Antonio Romanucci and Jeff Storms said in a statement. “As the family faces another holiday season without George, we hope that times like these will continue to bring them some peace, knowing that George’s death was not in vain.”
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