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Thomas Lane, a former Minneapolis police officer convicted for his role in the death of George Floyd, was released from federal prison on Tuesday, August 21.
Lane, 41, had been found guilty in 2022 of violating Floyd’s civil rights during the fatal incident on May 25, 2020, where Floyd, a black man, was restrained and suffocated by police officers for more than nine minutes despite repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe.”
Lane was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for the civil rights violation, and later that year, he was sentenced to three years for aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter, a charge he pleaded guilty to as part of a plea agreement.
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Although initially facing a more severe charge of aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder, Lane’s plea deal resulted in this charge being dismissed.
His sentences were served concurrently at the Englewood Federal Correctional Institution in Colorado, a low-security facility.
The release of Lane highlights ongoing debates over accountability and justice in cases of police misconduct.
While Lane has been released, the legacy of the Floyd case continues to influence public discourse on police reform.
Derek Chauvin, the officer who directly caused Floyd’s death by kneeling on his neck, was sentenced to 22 and a half years in state prison and an additional 21 years for federal charges of violating Floyd’s civil rights.
These convictions are seen by many as essential steps in ensuring that such tragic events do not recur and that law enforcement officials learn from these incidents to prevent future misconduct.
