Former Minneapolis Police officer Thomas Lane, 39, has pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter Wednesday in connection to his role in the killing of George Floyd in May 2020.
“I am pleased Thomas Lane has accepted responsibility for his role in Floyd’s death,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a statement said, The New York Times reports. “His acknowledgment he did something wrong is an important step toward healing the wounds of the Floyd family, our community, and the nation. While accountability is not justice, this is a significant moment in this case and a necessary resolution on our continued journey to justice.”
Lane’s defense attorney, Earl Gray said his client agreed to plead guilty because he faced a mandatory 12-year sentence if he were to be convicted of unintentional murder in his upcoming trial.
“My client did not want to risk losing the murder case so he decided to plead guilty to manslaughter with a 3-year sentence, to be released in 2 years, and the murder case dismissed,” Gray said according to The Times.
He added: “The sentence will be concurrent with his federal sentence and he will serve his time in a federal institution. He has a newborn baby and did not want to risk not being part of the child’s life.”
Lane was among three former officers already convicted in a federal court in February of violating Floyd’s civil rights. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 21 on the state charge, according to the report.
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