George Floyd death: J Alexander Kueng pleads guilty to abetting manslaughter - has he been sentenced?

J Alexander Kueng was one of four police officers who were charged over the death of George Floyd
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Another former Minneapolis police officer has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd.

In exchange for J Alexander Kueng’s guilty plea just as jury selection was to begin, a count of aiding and abetting second-degree murder will be dismissed.

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But who is J Alexander Kueng, how long will he spend in jail, and what happened to George Floyd? This is what you need to know.

A candle burns in front of a the drawn portrait of George Floyd in Denver, Colorado on June 6, 2020, during a protest over his death in police custodyA candle burns in front of a the drawn portrait of George Floyd in Denver, Colorado on June 6, 2020, during a protest over his death in police custody
A candle burns in front of a the drawn portrait of George Floyd in Denver, Colorado on June 6, 2020, during a protest over his death in police custody

Who is J Alexander Kueng?

He was a police officer who was present along with three others when George Floyd, who was Black, was arrested, and later died in the Powderhorn area of Minneapolis. The 29-year-old has been described as a “rookie cop” at the time.

Along with Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao he faced charges of Mr Floyd’s death. All four officers were indicted on civil rights violations.

Former Minneapolis Police officer J. Alexander Kueng.Former Minneapolis Police officer J. Alexander Kueng.
Former Minneapolis Police officer J. Alexander Kueng.

What happened to George Floyd?

Mr Floyd was arrested after police were called by the Cup Food grocery store after an employee suspected he had used a counterfeit $20 note. He was sitting in a car with two others when police forcibly removed him and handcuffed him.

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Mr Floyd, 46, died on 25 May, 2020, after officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, pinned him to the ground with a knee on his neck as he repeatedly said he could not breathe. Chauvin knelt on him for over nine minutes.

The killing, captured on video by a bystander, sparked protests in Minneapolis and around the globe over racial injustice. Kueng and Lane helped to restrain Mr Floyd, who was handcuffed. Kueng knelt on his back and Lane held down his legs. Thao kept bystanders from intervening.

Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in prison for murdering George Floyd (Pic:Getty)Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in prison for murdering George Floyd (Pic:Getty)
Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in prison for murdering George Floyd (Pic:Getty)

Who has been convicted over George Floyd’s death?

Chauvin was convicted of state murder and manslaughter charges last year and is currently serving 22 1/2 years in the state case. He also pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating Mr Floyd’s civil rights and was sentenced to 21 years for that and for an unrelated case involving a 14-year-old boy.

He is serving the sentences concurrently at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona.

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Kueng is the second officer to plead guilty to the state charge. Thomas Lane earlier pleaded guilty to the same count. Their former colleague, Tou Thao, is still scheduled to face trial this week.

All three have already been convicted on federal counts of willfully violating the civil rights of Mr Floyd. Lane was sentenced to two and a half years in the federal case. Kueng was sentenced to three years and Thao was sentenced to three and a half years, but for some Floyd family members and activists, the penalties were too small.

Demonstrators stand around a fire during a protest near the White House in response to the killing of George Floyd May 31, 2020 in Washington, DC.Demonstrators stand around a fire during a protest near the White House in response to the killing of George Floyd May 31, 2020 in Washington, DC.
Demonstrators stand around a fire during a protest near the White House in response to the killing of George Floyd May 31, 2020 in Washington, DC.

Kueng is Black, Lane is white and Thao is Hmong American. They were convicted of federal charges in February after a month-long trial that focused on the officers’ training and the culture of the police department.

All three were convicted of depriving Mr Floyd of his right to medical care and Thao and Kueng were also convicted of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin during the killing.

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After their federal sentences, there was a question as to whether Kueng and Thao would proceed to trial, with legal experts saying it was likely they would seek a plea deal with the state that would not exceed the federal sentence and allow them serve both sentences at the same time.

How long will Kueng spend in jail?

Kueng’s plea called for three and a half years in prison, though final determination will be up to the judge. Lane was sentenced to three years in his plea on the state charge, with the time served concurrently with the federal sentence. If Kueng had been convicted of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, he would have faced a presumptive 12 1/2 years in prison.