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Former Minneapolis Police Officer Testifies in George Floyd Killing Trial

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A former Minneapolis police officer, J. Alexander Kueng, testified that he deferred to Derek Chauvin's commands because he was his senior officer and that was what he had been trained to do. Kueng is one of the three former officers charged in federal court with violating George Floyd's constitutional rights. Kueng knelt on Floyd's back, while Thomas Lane held his legs and Tou Thao kept bystanders at bay as Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for 9 1/2 minutes. Kueng expressed concern about their inability to stop Floyd from thrashing around, but said he deferred to Chauvin's advice.

Key Takeaways:

  • J. Alexander Kueng testified that he deferred to Derek Chauvin's commands because he was his senior officer and that was what he had been trained to do.
  • Kueng said he was concerned about their inability to stop Floyd from thrashing around, but said he deferred to Chauvin's advice.
  • Kueng agreed with his attorney that cadets are taught unquestioned obedience and that probationary officers can be fired at will, saying he worried about being fired "every shift."
  • Kueng recalled checking Floyd's wrist for a pulse and told Chauvin he couldn't find one, but said it was up to Chauvin to check Floyd's neck for a more accurate pulse and to make decisions on the "difficult balance between scene safety and medical care."
  • Tou Thao testified that he knew Floyd's pleas that he couldn't breathe were becoming weaker, but did not realize Floyd was in danger even as bystanders became increasingly vocal.
  • Thao said he did not relay any of the onlookers' concerns about Floyd's well-being to the other officers, and did not check Floyd's pulse after bystanders asked him to.

Statistics:

  • 9:30 minutes: The length of time Derek Chauvin's knee was pressed into George Floyd's neck.
  • 46: Floyd's age when he was killed by Chauvin.
  • 3: The number of former Minneapolis police officers charged in federal court with violating Floyd's constitutional rights: J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao.
  • 1: The number of state murder and manslaughter charges against Derek Chauvin, which he was convicted of in December 2021.
  • June: The month when the three officers (Kueng, Lane, and Thao) are set to face a separate state trial on charges alleging that they aided and abetted murder and manslaughter.

Sources:

  • AP news wire
  • AP's full coverage of the killing of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd

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