Three former police officers found guilty of violating George Floyd's rights.

• On Thursday, three ex-Minneapolis police officers were found guilty of violating George Floyd's civil rights, as a federal jury dismissed their claims that inadequate training, inexperience, or the distraction of shouting bystanders absolved them from preventing Floyd's death.
• J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao were found guilty of denying Floyd access to medical treatment.
• Floyd was knelt on by Kueng, his legs were held by Lane, and Thao kept the bystanders at bay.
• In the month-long federal trial, the prosecutors aimed to prove that the officers breached their training, particularly when they neglected to move Floyd or administer CPR.

On Thursday, three ex-Minneapolis police officers were found guilty of violating George Floyd's civil rights, as a federal jury dismissed their claims that inadequate training, inexperience, or the distraction of shouting bystanders absolved them from preventing Floyd's death.

On May 25, 2020, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao were convicted of denying Floyd access to medical care while he was pinned under Derek Chauvin's knee for 9 1/2 minutes, face down on the street. Kueng sat on Floyd's back, Lane held his legs, and Thao kept bystanders away.

As part of a reckoning over racial injustice, Thao and Kueng were also convicted of not stopping Chauvin during the videotaped killing that sparked protests in Minneapolis and globally.

Philonise Floyd, Floyd's brother, referred to the verdicts as "accountability" but stated, "There can never be justice because I can never get George back."

Brandon Williams, Floyd's nephew, expressed hope that the verdicts would alter laws and policies to safeguard individuals from such occurrences. He added that the decision would convey a message that if one commits murder or uses excessive or deadly force, there will be consequences.

Lane shook his head and gazed at his lawyer as the verdict was announced. Thao and Kueng displayed no discernible emotion. Their attorneys declined to provide any immediate comment.

The acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, Charles Kovats, emphasized that all sworn law enforcement officers have a responsibility to intervene following the convictions.

Kovats stated that the officers had a moral obligation, legal responsibility, and duty to intervene, and by not doing so, they committed a crime.

The four officers, Chauvin and Thao, and rookies Kueng and Lane, arrived at the scene to assist with a call about Floyd using a fake $20 bill at a corner store. Floyd resisted arrest as the officers attempted to put him in a police SUV.

In the month-long federal trial, the prosecutors aimed to prove that the officers breached their training, particularly when they neglected to move Floyd or administer CPR. The prosecutors contended that Floyd's condition was so severe that even untrained bystanders could recognize he required assistance. However, the officers "chose to do nothing" and did not take any action to save Floyd's life.

The defense argued that their training was insufficient. Kueng and Lane admitted that they followed Chauvin's lead as the senior officer on the scene. Thao stated that he trusted the other officers to provide medical care to Floyd while he focused on other tasks.

The jury, consisting of eight women and four men, reached the verdicts after two days of deliberations. Despite the court's refusal to disclose demographics such as race or age, it is known that Lane is white, Kueng is Black, and Thao is Hmong American.

The former officers, who have been charged with a federal civil rights violation resulting in death, are currently free on bond and awaiting sentencing. While conviction of such a crime can result in a life sentence or even death, such outcomes are extremely rare. The federal sentencing guidelines take into account complex formulas that suggest the officers would receive a much lighter sentence.

Last year, Chauvin, a white man, was convicted of murder in state court and pleaded guilty in December in the federal case. He was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in the state case. The federal case has not yet resulted in a sentencing date, but both sides agree that Chauvin should receive a sentence ranging from 20 to 25 years.

Although the verdicts were read on Thursday, public reaction was subdued, with only a few protesters visible outside the courthouse, which was surrounded by fencing throughout the trial. In contrast, on the day Chauvin was convicted, many people listened live as his verdicts were read and crowded into the square where he died for a celebration afterward. That trial was livestreamed, while this one was not.

In June, Lane, Kueng, and Thao will be tried separately on state charges accusing them of assisting in murder and manslaughter.

Days after the conviction of three white men for hate crimes in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man who was chased and shot in February 2020, the verdicts have been handed down.