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u.s. news Diamars 16 augustus 2022

2 ex-cops charged in George Floyd killing reject plea deals

(AP) — Two former Min- formalize the two ex-officers’ manslaughter count, but that
neapolis police officers rejections of the state’s offers. prosecutors have already said
charged in George Floyd’s they’ll seek longer sentences
killing told a judge Mon- “It would be lying for me to if they get convictions.
day that they have reject- accept any plea offer,” said
ed plea deals that would Thou, who held back con- In Minnesota, assuming
have resulted in three- cerned bystanders as Chauvin good behavior, defendants
year sentences, setting the pinned Floyd. Kueng did not typically serve two-thirds of
stage for trial in October. give his reasons for rejecting their sentences in prison and
the state’s offer. one-third on parole.
Tou Thao and J. Alexan-
der Kueng are charged with Thao, Kueng and Lane were Frank said plea negotiations
aiding and abetting both convicted in federal court in began in earnest in May and
second-degree murder and February of violating Floyd’s continued into June. The of-
second-degree manslaughter civil rights. Lane, who is fers would have dropped the
in Floyd’s death. They and white, held Floyd’s legs and most serious charge of aid-
Thomas Lane were working twice asked if he should be ing and abetting murder, and
with Derek Chauvin when turned on his side, and was the officers’ state time would
he pinned Floyd’s neck with sentenced to 2 1/2 years. have run concurrently with specified point in the nego-
his knee for more than nine Thao, who is Hmong Ameri- the federal sentences. Both tiations, offered Kueng a deal The trial is scheduled to be-
minutes as the 46-year-old can, was sentenced to 3 1/2 defendants confirmed that that would have resulted in 2 gin Oct. 24, with opening
Black man said he couldn’t years. Kueng, who is Black, they understood that the state years in prison. Kueng con- statements Nov. 7.
breathe and eventually grew pinned Floyd’s back, and was has now withdrawn its offers. firmed that Plunkett had told
still. sentenced to 3 years. Thao him about the offer, and that Lane avoided a state trial by
and Kueng are appealing “It’s a standard best practice they rejected it. Frank did not pleading guilty in May to aid-
The killing, captured on by- their federal convictions. to make a record in court comment about the purport- ing and abetting second-de-
stander video, sparked pro- when the State offers a plea ed offer. gree manslaughter in a deal
tests worldwide and a reck- In rejecting the plea agree- agreement, in order to ensure that calls for a three-year sen-
oning on racial injustice. ments, Thao and Keung are the defendant’s decision is Thao’s attorney, Robert tence. His sentencing is Sept.
Chauvin, who is white, was risking state sentences that freely and knowingly made,” Paule, said that they, at an 21.
convicted of second-degree could be significantly longer Attorney General Keith Elli- unspecified point, proposed a
murder last year and sen- than their federal sentences son said in a statement after- deal for 2 years, but that the Chauvin was sentenced to
tenced to 22 1/2 years on the if they’re convicted on both ward. “The defendants have a state rejected it. Frank said 21 years on the federal civil
state charge. counts. Assistant Attorney right to decline the offer and that wasn’t how he recalled rights charge. He remains in
General Matt Frank pointed proceed to trial. The State is the discussions, and that his the state’s maximum security
Hennepin County Judge Pe- out in the hearing that the ready for trial.” recollection was that Thao’s prison at Oak Park Heights
ter Cahill had set a limited state’s sentencing guide- offer had included dropping pending his transfer to fed-
window for accepting a plea lines recommend sentences During the hearing, Kueng’s the charges. Neither side eral prison. The other three
deal ahead of trial, and Mon- of 12 1/2 years on the mur- attorney, Thomas Plunkett, elaborated on the discrepan- remain free on bail.
day’s brief hearing served to der count and 4 years on the said that Ellison at one, un- cies.

Michael Cox sworn in as Boston police commissioner

(AP) — Michael Cox, a Boston him through the incident that he said jury report.
police veteran who was brutally changed his life forever but does not Mayor Michelle Wu called Cox a
beaten by fellow officers while define him. leader that Boston “deserves.” The city eventually paid Cox more
chasing a suspect and fought than $1 million over his civil rights
against efforts to cover up his as- “I’ve worked to change policing since “I’m incredibly proud, grateful and case. He rose through the ranks over
sault, was sworn in Monday as that incident occurred, and I will inspired in the future for this city the years to become the bureau chief
commissioner of the police de- continue to do all I can to make sure with Commissioner Michael Cox at and superintendent of the Bureau of
partment. that no Black or brown person or any the helm of the Boston Police De- Professional Development, oversee-
individual, no matter their gender partment,” she said. ing such things as the Boston Police
After taking the oath during a cere- identity or race, is the victim of any Academy.
mony at City Hall Plaza, Cox thanked kind of unconstitutional policing,” The Boston native most recently
his family and friends who supported Cox, who is Black, said. served as police chief in Ann Arbor, He replaces Dennis White, who was
Michigan. Before taking that job in fired last year after decades-old do-
2019, Cox served three decades in the mestic violence accusations — which
Boston Police Department, where he he denied — came to light. Super-
took on the so-called “blue wall of intendent-In-Chief Gregory Long
silence” after he was attacked by col- served as the acting police commis-
leagues who mistook him for a flee- sioner during the search for White’s
ing suspect. permanent successor.

In 1995, 29-year-old Cox was work- Cox was briefly placed on adminis-
ing undercover in plainclothes as part trative leave in Ann Arbor over claims
of the department’s gang unit when that he created a hostile work envi-
officers got a call about a shooting. ronment.
The suspect started to scale a fence
and Cox was struck from behind just An investigation found “no evidence
as he was about to grab the man, Cox that the Chief was behaving in such
has said. He was kicked and punched a way” as to create a hostile work en-
by fellow officers, suffering head in- vironment. But a report said “there
juries and kidney damage. is evidence that people feared retali-
ation by the Chief, and they had a le-
Cox lost his footing on a frozen pud- gitimate basis for that fear, whether or
dle, causing him to fall and crack his not that was the Chief’s intent.”
head, according to a department in-