With Chauvin's conviction, attention now shifts to 3 other officers present during Floyd's arrest


Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on Tuesday of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd, but there is still another trial on the horizon — this time for the three other officers who were part of Floyd's arrest last May.
As it stands now, the trial for former Minneapolis police officers J. Alexander Kueng, 27, Thomas Lane, 38, and Tou Thao, 35, is set to start on Aug. 23, with the men facing charges of aiding and abetting in the second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter of Floyd. If convicted, they could face more than 16 years in prison. A hearing is scheduled for May 20 at the Minnesota Court of Appeals, with the state attorney general's office seeking to add a third-degree murder charge against Kueng, Lane, and Thao.
On May 25, 2020, the officers responded to a call at Cup Foods in Minneapolis, after it was reported that Floyd allegedly tried to pass a fake $20 bill. Footage of Floyd's arrest shows Chauvin with his knee on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes, and prosecutors say Kueng, who graduated from the police academy in 2019, at one point was between Chauvin and Lane, kneeling on Floyd's back. When Floyd became unresponsive, Kueng checked for a pulse, and reported that he couldn't find one.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Lane, who had been on the police force for just a few days, was the officer who told Floyd to get out of his car, and placed handcuffs on him. Prosecutors say Chauvin, Kueng, and Lane all used their weight to keep Floyd on the ground, after he resisted attempts to get into the back of a police car. Lane asked at one point if they should roll Floyd over, and Chauvin responded, "No, staying put where we got him."
Thao, who rejoined the force in 2012 after being laid off, arrived at Cup Foods with Chauvin, after Floyd had already been handcuffed. Prosecutors say that while Thao did not have any physical contact with Floyd, he could see how Floyd was being restrained, and did not try to intervene.
All of the officers were fired and arrested following Floyd's death. Kueng, Lane, and Thao are now out on $750,000 bail. In January, their trial was split from Chauvin's due to COVID-19 safety precautions.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 20, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - Pam Bondi, retirement planning, and more
By The Week US
-
5 heavy-handed cartoons about ICE and deportation
Cartoons Artists take on international students, the Supreme Court, and more
By The Week US
-
Exploring the three great gardens of Japan
The Week Recommends Beautiful gardens are 'the stuff of Japanese landscape legends'
By The Week UK
-
Kenya arrests alleged ant smugglers
speed read Two young Belgians have been charged for attempting to smuggle ants out of the country to exotic pet buyers
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge ends Eric Adams case, Trump leverage
Speed Read Federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams were dismissed, as requested by Trump's Justice Department
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Texas arrests midwife on felony abortion charges
Speed Read Maria Margarita Rojas and an employee at one of her clinics are the first to be criminally charged under Texas' near-total abortion ban
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
South Carolina to execute prisoner by firing squad
speed read Death row inmate Brad Sigmon prefers the squad over the electric chair or lethal injection, his lawyer said
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Mexico extradites 29 cartel figures amid US tariff threat
Speed Read The extradited suspects include Rafael Caro Quintero, long sought after killing a US narcotics agent
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Leonard Peltier released from prison
Speed Read The Native American activist convicted of killing two FBI agents had his life sentence commuted by former President Joe Biden
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Ex-Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years
Speed Read The former New Jersey senator was convicted on federal bribery and corruption charges last year
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Police ID driver of exploded Cybertruck, can't see motive
Speed Read An Army Green Beret detonated a homemade bomb in a Tesla Cybertruck in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US