UPDATE: Unfortunately, these officers were found guilty. We are currently waiting to see if they will appeal this verdict.
Officer Thomas Lane, 37, and Officer Alex Kueng, 26, have both been charged with aiding and
abbetting murder and manslaughter due to their involvement and proximity to the incident that
resulted in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. It was Officer Lane’s 4th shift as a police officer and Officer Kueng’s 3rd shift on the force. If Officers Lane and Kueng are convicted, they may face up to 40
years in prison.
These young men were rookies on the force, only a few days on the job, and were working
under a senior officer who is also a training officer. These young men witnessed one of the most horrific
incidents you can see while on the force: the death of a suspect in custody and their hands were
tied and tight as suspects in cuffs.
It gets worse. Officer Lane even tried to push back against the senior officer on the scene, at one point asking “Should we roll him to his side?” and later expressing his concern about “excited delirium.”
Officer Lane, Officer Kueng, and Officer Thau have been raked over the coals by the public and media. They
have been wrongfully demonized. Their rookie statuses and individual efforts to neutralize the
situation have been purposefully ignored to create an awful caricature of these brave young
men. Our organization believes in due process and the right to a fair trial- which means the
public does not have the right to try and convict them- especially with so much misinformation
being spread.
The National Center for Police Defense will continue to raise funds and support for these Officers as they work through the legal system and prepare for their court hearings. These young men need your support! Please donate here: www.nationalcenterforpolicedefense.com/donate
