Former Minneapolis Officer Reveals He Didn't Realize George Floyd Was Slowly Dying During Arrest
During a testimony in federal court, former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao, revealed that he did not realize George Floyd was being asphyxiated while under officer Derek Chauvin’s knee.
Thao, who is on trial for violating Floyd's civil rights, testified in his own defense. The 36-year-old officer told a jury he assumed Floyd's heart was still beating because he never saw the other officers attempt to revive him as they were trained to do, according to The Daily Mail.
Later in his testimony, Thao recalled that officers struggled to get Floyd into a patrol car in the moments before the deadly May 25 incident.
Thao, in a St. Paul courtroom, said that "it was obvious he (Floyd) was under the influence of some kind of drugs," KARE 11 reported.
He and J. Alexander Kueng face a potential life sentence if convicted of depriving George Floyd, 46, of his rights while exercising the authority of a government agency.
A jury convicted Chauvin in state court last year for murdering Floyd. He later pleaded guilty in federal court to violating Floyd’s civil rights. Chauvin is serving 22 1⁄2 years in prison in the state case, but he has not been sentenced yet in the federal case.
