GUILTY

Judge Convicts Ex-Minneapolis Cop Tou Thao for His Role in George Floyd’s Murder

Tou Thao is already serving three-and-a-half years for violating Floyd’s civil rights

Former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao, who provided crowd control as other officers restrained George Floyd in 2020, was found guilty Monday of abiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter for his role in Floyd’s killing. Prosecutors argued that Thao “made a conscious decision to actively participate in Floyd’s death” by holding back bystanders and blocking an off-duty firefighter from providing “the very medical aid Floyd so desperately needed.” In a 177-page verdict, Minnesota Judge Peter Cahill wrote that Thao, who waived his right to a jury trial, “actively encouraged” his fellow officers’ deadly restrain of Floyd. Thao will be sentenced on August 7. He’s already serving three-and-a-half years for violating Floyd’s civil rights stemming from a separate federal trial last year.