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u.s. news Dialuna 26 aPRil 2021

For 3 ex-cops, will blaming Chauvin for Floyd's death work?

(AP) — With Derek The quick conviction for
Chauvin convicted of Chauvin spurred speculation
murder in George Floyd’s about plea deals. Heffelfinger
death, activists and the said prosecutors may be open
Floyd family are turn- to that because they're aware
ing their attention to this of the potential weaknesses
summer's trial for the oth- in the cases against the three.
er three officers involved
in his May 2020 arrest. “Prosecutors know this stuff,
so this is a good time for all
All three have already sought parties to consider settlement
to deflect responsibility to over the next two or three
Chauvin, by far the most se- months," he said.
nior officer on the scene.
Gaertner said prosecutors
Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and will feel pressure not to strike
Tou Thao face trial in Au- a plea deal that could be seen
gust on charges of aiding and by activists as letting the of-
abetting both second-degree ficers off lightly. But she said
murder and second-degree she hopes they do consider
manslaughter. Hennepin deals that would avert a trial,
County Judge Peter Cahill particularly due to the stress
ordered that they be tried to- cuss their case. Attorneys Floyd on his side — and — an action that prosecu- and expense of the just-com-
gether, but separately from for Lane and Kueng also de- Chauvin said no. tion medical experts testified pleted trial that transformed
Chauvin, to reduce the num- clined, and Thao’s attorney made it even harder for Floyd parts of Minneapolis into a
ber of people in the court- did not return a message Local defense attorney Joe to breathe. militarized zone.
room amid the COVID-19 seeking comment. But their Friedberg said the evidence
pandemic. past filings and the evidence at Chauvin's trial showed Thao can argue that it was “Clearly these three defen-
offer clues for likely strate- that Lane was “trying to use crowd control, keeping an dants are significantly less
As the three weigh their strat- gies. as little force as possible” agitated group of about 15 culpable than Chauvin," she
egies, legal experts say they before Chauvin arrived and onlookers at a safe distance, said. "And that should be tak-
are sure to be watching what Lane and Kueng can argue took charge. and that he largely had his en into account. Another trial
kind of prison time Chauvin they were rookies, in just back to the other officers and is going to be very disruptive,
gets at his June 16 sentenc- their first week as full-fledged Kueng can be heard report- Floyd. costly and I’m not sure that
ing — as much as 30 years, cops, and felt a need to defer ing to Chauvin at one point that’s in the best interests of
though likely less. Minnesota to Chauvin — their training that he could not find Floyd's “His defense could be, ‘I the public.”
law sets the same penalties officer — when he pinned pulse. was just present and it takes
for aiding and abetting mur- Floyd’s neck to the ground more than presence to make But Friedberg said he doesn't
der or manslaughter as for with his knee for nearly 9 “They're raising questions a crime,'" Heffelfinger said. expect any deals.
the act itself. 1/2 minutes as Floyd shouted about what was happening
repeatedly that he couldn't and whether they should be But one of the onlookers “None of them will ever
They'll also be mindful that it breathe before going silent, doing something different," Thao specifically ordered to plead guilty,” Friedberg pre-
took jurors less than 24 hours then limp. said another local defense at- stand back was Genevieve dicted. "They have three re-
to find Chauvin guilty on all “Those two rookies have a torney, Brock Hunter. "It's Hansen, a Minneapolis fire- ally good lawyers who are
charges. That could ratchet facially different defense, and not nearly as clear-cut as I fighter who can be heard on extremely aggressive law-
up pressure to consider a plea a very real factual defense, as think the evidence against video pleading repeatedly yers. There’s no question in
deal. compared to Chauvin,” Hef- Chauvin was.” for officers to check Floyd's my mind they're going to go
felfinger said. pulse. Hansen cried on the to trial and they're going to
"The factual differences be- But both Chauvin and Kue- witness stand at Chauvin's claim that they were com-
tween Chauvin and the other Lane might have the best ng maintained their restraint, trial as she described her pletely unaware of the depths
three are what should drive defense. Body camera video and body camera video frustration at being prevented of what Derek Chauvin was
this,” said Tom Heffelfinger, shows he asked the other shows Kueng holding up one from coming to Floyd's aid. doing.”
a former U.S. attorney for officers if they should turn of Floyd's handcuffed hands
Minnesota.

Experts said the best Lane,
Kueng and Thao can hope
for is a jury of 12 people who
think Chauvin was guilty
but aren’t so sure about what
roles the other three played.
And they said the evidence
against the three is weaker
than the evidence against
Chauvin, which provides
opportunities for their attor-
neys.

“I would expect the theme of
all three would be, 'That’s a
really bad thing that Chauvin
did. I didn’t like it. I'm not
responsible for what hap-
pened,'" former Ramsey
County prosecutor Susan
Gaertner said.

Prosecutors declined to dis-