J Alexander Kueng has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for his role in George Floyd’s death.
The Minneapolis police officer is among the four cops who were charged in the murder of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man who died in May 2020 while in police custody. Kueng is kneeled on Floyd’s back, while another officer—Derek Chauvin—kneeled on Mr. Floyd’s beck.
Cellphone footage showed Kueng, Chauvin, and fellow officer Thomas Lane holding Floyd down to the ground, as a fourth officer Tou Thao, stood to the side while trying to prevent the public from intervening. The footage, which sparked global protests against police brutality, captured Floyd being pinned to the ground while repeatedly shouting “I can’t breathe.” After the officers dismissed his pleas for nearly 10 minutes, Floyd appeared to lose consciousness. The father of five was subsequently transported to the hospital, where he was ultimately pronounced dead. A formal autopsy report listed his death as a homicide.
Back in October, Kueng pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. He appeared at Friday’s sentencing hearing via video from an Ohio prison, where he’s serving a three-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights. According to CNN, the former officer will receive an 84-day credit for time served, and both sentences will run concurrently.
As part of his sentencing, Kueng was also prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition for the rest of his life.
“The sentencing of Alexander Kueng for his role in the murder of George Floyd delivers yet another piece of justice for the Floyd family,” Floyd family attorneys Ben Crump, Antonio Romanucci, and Jeff Storms said in a statement. “While the family faces yet another holiday season without George, we hope that moments like these continue to bring them a measure of peace, knowing that George’s death was not in vain.”
