Three former Minneapolis police officers were found guilty Thursday of violating the civil rights of George Floyd, the black man whose murder in May 2020 sparked protests nationwide.

Tou Thao, 36, J. Alexander Kueng, 28, and Thomas Lane, 38, have been found guilty of showing "deliberate indifference" to Floyd's medical needs after a month-long federal trial in Saint Paul, Minneapolis' sister city.

Thao and Kueng were also found guilty of failing to intervene when a fourth officer, Derek Chauvin, used "unreasonable force" against Floyd.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-officers-first-admission-of-guilt-chauvin-pleads-guilty-to-violating-george-floyds-civil-rights-437363">White officer's 'first admission of guilt': Chauvin pleads guilty to violating George Floyd's civil rights</a>

Lane was not charged with the second charge of failing to intervene as video of the arrest shows he suggested on two occasions that Floyd be rolled onto his side.

A central question in the case was whether or not an officer has a duty to intervene in another's misconduct. This is a rare instance of police officers being criminally responsible for the use of excessive force by a colleague.

Chauvin, a white officer who was the senior officer on the scene, kneeled on the neck of handcuffed Floyd for nearly ten minutes, until he passed out and died.&nbsp;Having been convicted of murder last year, he is serving 22 years in prison.

Federal prosecutors argued in US District Court in St. Paul that the men knew from their training and from "basic human decency" that they had a duty to help Floyd as he begged for his life before falling limp beneath the knee of the defendants' former colleague, Derek Chauvin.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/muddywater-irans-ministry-of-intelligence-and-security-running-malicious-cyber-campaigns-warns-us-456283" hreflang="en">'MuddyWater': Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security running malicious cyber campaigns, warns US</a>

Floyd's death, which was filmed by a bystander in a viral video, sparked protests in the United States and around the world against racial injustice and police brutality.

Brandon Williams, Floyd's nephew, described it as a "small victory" to reporters after the verdict was handed down.

"Often times, you know, officers kill Black and brown men and women and we get little to no consequences," Williams said. "A lot of times, we don't even get charges, let alone a conviction."

Eight women and four men on the all-white jury deliberated for 13 hours over two days before finding the three former officers guilty.

The maximum sentence is life in prison but the three are not expected to receive such a severe punishment.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;US: George Floyd's murder sparks toppling of confederate statues

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-george-floyds-murder-sparks-toppling-of-confederate-statues-449990/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"George Floyd should be alive today," said US Attorney General Merrick Garland in response to the verdict in the high-profile case.

"Today's verdict recognizes that two police officers violated the Constitution by failing to intervene to stop another officer from killing George Floyd, and three officers violated the Constitution by failing to provide aid to Mr. Floyd in time to prevent his death," Garland said in a statement.

"The Justice Department will continue to seek accountability for law enforcement officers whose actions, or failure to act, violate their constitutional duty to protect the civil rights of our citizens."

(With inputs from agencies)

Three former Minneapolis police officers were found guilty Thursday of violating the civil rights of George Floyd, the black man whose murder in May 2020 sparked protests nationwide.

Three former Minneapolis police officers were found guilty Thursday of violating the civil rights of George Floyd, the black man whose murder in May 2020 sparked protests nationwide. Tou Thao, 36, J. Alexander Kueng, 28, and Thomas Lane, 38, have been found guilty of showing "deliberate indifference" to Floyd's medical needs after a month-long federal trial in Saint Paul, Minneapolis' sister city. Thao and Kueng were also found guilty of failing to intervene when a fourth officer, Derek Chauvin, used "unreasonable force" against Floyd. Also read | White officer's 'first admission of guilt': Chauvin pleads guilty to violating George Floyd's civil rights Lane was not charged with the second charge of failing to intervene as video of the arrest shows he suggested on two occasions that Floyd be rolled onto his side. A central question in the case was whether or not an officer has a duty to intervene in another's misconduct. This is a rare instance of police officers being criminally responsible for the use of excessive force by a colleague. Chauvin, a white officer who was the senior officer on the scene, kneeled on the neck of handcuffed Floyd for nearly ten minutes, until he passed out and died. Having been convicted of murder last year, he is serving 22 years in prison. Federal prosecutors argued in US District Court in St. Paul that the men knew from their training and from "basic human decency" that they had a duty to help Floyd as he begged for his life before falling limp beneath the knee of the defendants' former colleague, Derek Chauvin. Also read | 'MuddyWater': Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security running malicious cyber campaigns, warns US Floyd's death, which was filmed by a bystander in a viral video, sparked protests in the United States and around the world against racial injustice and police brutality. Brandon Williams, Floyd's nephew, described it as a "small victory" to reporters after the verdict was handed down. "Often times, you know, officers kill Black and brown men and women and we get little to no consequences," Williams said. "A lot of times, we don't even get charges, let alone a conviction." Eight women and four men on the all-white jury deliberated for 13 hours over two days before finding the three former officers guilty. The maximum sentence is life in prison but the three are not expected to receive such a severe punishment. Watch | US: George Floyd's murder sparks toppling of confederate statues "George Floyd should be alive today," said US Attorney General Merrick Garland in response to the verdict in the high-profile case. "Today's verdict recognizes that two police officers violated the Constitution by failing to intervene to stop another officer from killing George Floyd, and three officers violated the Constitution by failing to provide aid to Mr. Floyd in time to prevent his death," Garland said in a statement. "The Justice Department will continue to seek accountability for law enforcement officers whose actions, or failure to act, violate their constitutional duty to protect the civil rights of our citizens." (With inputs from agencies)

'A small victory': US ex-cops found guilty of violating civil rights of George Floyd

A US judge postponed the trial of three former Minneapolis policemen accused of taking part in the murder of George Floyd to March 2022 after they said that prosecutors leaked prejudicial information about the case, according to media reports.

Tou Thao, 25, J. Alexander Kueng, 27, and Thomas Lane, 28, all fired and arrested days after Floyd was killed on May 25, have been charged with aiding and abetting the second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin was convicted on April 20 of murdering Floyd, 46, by kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes, in a case that marked a milestone in America's fraught racial history and a rebuke of law enforcement’s treatment of Black Americans. The death, captured on cellphone video, led to protests around the nation and overseas.

On Thursday, attorneys for Thao, Kueng and Lane raised concerns that information had been leaked that would taint the jury pool, and that a key witness was coerced into amending his findings.

The attorneys said prosecutors leaked "damning" information to the New York Times about Chauvin's supposed plan to plead guilty and asked Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill to sanction prosecutors, including state Attorney General Keith Ellison.

In a statement, Ellison had earlier called the leak allegation "completely false and an outlandish attempt to disparage the prosecution."

Cahill postponed the trial from August 2021 to March 2022, the Wall Street Journal and other news media reported.

On May 25, Kueng and Lane were the first officers to arrive outside the food store where Floyd was accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. Thao arrived on the scene with Chauvin after Floyd had already been handcuffed.

Thao, Kueng, and Lane were not present at Thursday's hearing, and no cameras were permitted in the courtroom.

Thao's defence attorney also asked Cahill to drop all charges against Thao, and to rule that Andrew Baker, the Hennepin County medical examiner, was coerced into saying that Floyd died of asphyxiation.

According to the motion the attorney filed before the hearing, Dr. Roger Mitchell, Washington, D.C.'s chief medical examiner, was planning to write an opinion piece critical of Baker's initial findings. Thao's legal team claimed Baker had changed his findings to avoid controversy, and that prosecutors knew about it.

(With inputs from agencies)

A US judge postponed the trial of three former Minneapolis policemen accused of taking part in the murder of George Floyd to March 2022 after they said that prosecutors leaked prejudicial information about the case, according to media reports.

A US judge postponed the trial of three former Minneapolis policemen accused of taking part in the murder of George Floyd to March 2022 after they said that prosecutors leaked prejudicial information about the case, according to media reports. Tou Thao, 25, J. Alexander Kueng, 27, and Thomas Lane, 28, all fired and arrested days after Floyd was killed on May 25, have been charged with aiding and abetting the second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin was convicted on April 20 of murdering Floyd, 46, by kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes, in a case that marked a milestone in America's fraught racial history and a rebuke of law enforcement’s treatment of Black Americans. The death, captured on cellphone video, led to protests around the nation and overseas. On Thursday, attorneys for Thao, Kueng and Lane raised concerns that information had been leaked that would taint the jury pool, and that a key witness was coerced into amending his findings. The attorneys said prosecutors leaked "damning" information to the New York Times about Chauvin's supposed plan to plead guilty and asked Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill to sanction prosecutors, including state Attorney General Keith Ellison. In a statement, Ellison had earlier called the leak allegation "completely false and an outlandish attempt to disparage the prosecution." Cahill postponed the trial from August 2021 to March 2022, the Wall Street Journal and other news media reported. On May 25, Kueng and Lane were the first officers to arrive outside the food store where Floyd was accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill to buy cigarettes. Thao arrived on the scene with Chauvin after Floyd had already been handcuffed. Thao, Kueng, and Lane were not present at Thursday's hearing, and no cameras were permitted in the courtroom. Thao's defence attorney also asked Cahill to drop all charges against Thao, and to rule that Andrew Baker, the Hennepin County medical examiner, was coerced into saying that Floyd died of asphyxiation. According to the motion the attorney filed before the hearing, Dr. Roger Mitchell, Washington, D.C.'s chief medical examiner, was planning to write an opinion piece critical of Baker's initial findings. Thao's legal team claimed Baker had changed his findings to avoid controversy, and that prosecutors knew about it. (With inputs from agencies)

George Floyd case: US judge postpones trial for three ex-cops

tou-thao

Tou Thao, News on Tou Thao, stories on Tou Thao, articles on Tou Thao, Tou Thao stories at Wion, Tou Thao news, Tou Thao latest news

tou thao

'A small victory': US ex-cops found guilty of violating civil rights of George Floyd

George Floyd case: US judge postpones trial for three ex-cops