One of two former Minneapolis police officers set to stand trial on criminal charges filed in connection with George Floyd's murder changed his plea to guilty Monday morning.
What's happening: J. Alexander Kueng agreed to plead guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
- Under a plea deal, Kueng would serve 3 1/2 years in prison under a plea deal, and prosecutors agreed to drop one count of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement.
- Fellow former Minneapolis Police Department officer Tou Thao agreed on Monday to a trial by stipulated evidence, meaning he waived his right to a jury and to testify. A judge will decide the verdict in the case.
The big picture: The reversal came as jury selection was set to begin in the state criminal trial for Kueng and Thao.
- The two officers, who were with Derek Chauvin on the day of Floyd's May 2020 killing, had been charged with aiding and abetting both murder and manslaughter.
Context: Chauvin, the officer who kneeled on Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes, was convicted of murder in April 2021. He pleaded guilty to separate, federal civil rights charges that December and is serving a sentence of more than 20 years.
- Kueng and Thao, along with former officer Thomas Lane, were convicted in January of violating Floyd's civil rights by failing to intervene. All three are appealing the charges.
- Lane pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting manslaughter in May and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years.
Of note: Kueng and Thao had previously rejected a plea deal.
- Thao, who told the court that pleading guilty would be a "lie and a sin," has not changed his plea, per the Star Tribune.
What they're saying: "J. Alexander Kueng is now the second officer involved in Floyd's death to accept responsibility through a guilty plea," Ellison said in a statement.
- That "hopefully can bring comfort to Floyd's family and bring our communities closer to a new era of accountability and justice," he added.
