Featured Image Credit: Alamy/Hennepin County Sheriff's Office
Topics: George Floyd, US News, Racism, Black Lives Matter
Emily Brown
Topics: George Floyd, US News, Racism, Black Lives Matter
Former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane has claimed he attempted to help George Floyd but was stopped by Derek Chauvin.
Lane was one of three other officers on the scene at the time of Floyd's death in May 2020, when Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for minutes on end despite his complaints that he couldn't breathe.
Along with his former police colleagues Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng, Lane has been charged with using the 'colour of the law', or his position as a police officer, to deprive Floyd of his civil rights by allegedly acting indifferently to his medical needs.
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Lane provided testimony as he appeared on the stand yesterday, February 21, when he told the jury he had tried to help Floyd several times but was repeatedly blocked by Chauvin, who was his senior officer at the time.
Lane and Kueng, who were both rookie officers, were partnered up for the first time when they responded to a report about Floyd allegedly using a fake $20 bill. Lane claims Floyd appeared to be 'put[ting] something away' when he confronted him, so he drew his gun and yelled at Floyd 'to let him know how serious [he] thought it was'.
In an attempt to de-escalate the situation, Lane claimed he then lowered his voice and told Floyd he was 'not going to shoot' him. A struggle broke out as he and Kueng tried to get Floyd into a police car, according to Lane, and when Chauvin and Thao arrived at the scene the former 'cut in front' of Lane and took over, ABC News reports.
Chauvin decided to place Floyd prone on the pavement, and Lane held Floyd's legs 'because of the kicking'. He testified that Floyd's resistance lessened after a few minutes, and said Chauvin's knee 'appeared to be kind of holding at the base of [Floyd's] neck and shoulder'.
Lane claimed that he had suggested rolling Floyd on to his side to help his breathing, but Chauvin responded to say 'nope, we're good like this'. When he asked a second time, Chauvin 'deflected' his question, Lane said.
The former officer allegedly asked Kueng to check Floyd’s pulse and tried to check his ankle for a pulse himself, and he claimed that when paramedics arrived he was assured Floyd had a pulse. Under cross-examination, he said paramedics told him Floyd was unresponsive.
When questioned about his decision to defer to Chauvin in spite of his training, Lane said: 'It seemed reasonable at the time with an ambulance coming.'
Lane volunteered to assist paramedics when they arrived to take Floyd to hospital, testifying that he thought Floyd 'didn't look good'. He said: 'I felt with the situation, they might need a hand.'
Lane has pleaded not guilty to the charges he faces. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
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