Former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane was sentenced on Thursday to two and a half years in prison for his role in the killing of George Floyd, the AP reported.
Driving the news: Lane was convicted on federal civil rights charges in February for failing to intervene as his fellow officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes, killing him.
- Lane, one of four officers at the scene, held Floyd's legs to restrain him during the incident, even as Floyd said repeatedly that he could not breathe.
- Floyd's death sparked outrage over law enforcement's use of force against Black Americans and led to mass protests across the country in the summer of 2020.
What's next: Lane faces a separate sentencing in state court on Sept. 21, according to the AP. He pleaded guilty in May to aiding and abetting manslaughter, and he agreed to a recommended sentence of three years.
- Former Minneapolis police officers J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, who were convicted alongside Lane in February, will be sentenced at a later date, per the AP.
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