J. Alexander Kueng, who kneeled on George Floyd's back, sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison for aiding and abetting manslaughter

J. Alexander Kueng, who kneeled on George Floyd's back, has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison for aiding and abetting manslaughter.

Kueng, a former Minneapolis police officer, pleaded guilty in October to a state count of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. The plea came on the same day jury selection was set to begin in his trial. His guilty plea — along with another officer's decision to let a judge decide his fate — averted what would have been the third long and painful trial over Floyd's killing.

Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after former Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck for 9 1/2 minutes as Floyd repeatedly said he couldn't breathe and eventually went limp. The killing, which was recorded on video by a bystander, sparked worldwide protests as part of a broader reckoning over racial injustice.

Kueng kneeled on Floyd's back during the restraint. Then-Officer Thomas Lane held Floyd's legs and Tou Thao, also an officer at the time, kept bystanders from intervening. All of the officers were fired and faced state and federal charges.

Kueng, who is already serving a federal sentence for violating Floyd's civil rights, appeared at Friday's sentencing hearing via Zoom from a low-security federal prison in Ohio. 

The sentencing was originally supposed to take place Friday morning, but was pushed back to technical issues. It started at 1 p.m.

Floyd's family did not give formal impact statements, but Prosecutor Matthew Frank said that Kueng, Chauvin, and the other two officers' actions were a "disservice" to the profession of law enforcement. He added that he appreciated that Kueng pleaded guilty and accepted his responsibility.

Kueng's attorney emphasized that he was a rookie on the force on the day of the killing, and had strong words for leaders in the police department, saying they failed Kueng.

"Justice has become nothing more than mean-spirited revenge. I'm not calling for justice. I'm calling for progress, so Floyd's death and Mr. Kueng's punishment is not in vain," Attorney Thomas Plunkett said.

Kueng himself did not make a formal statement.

As part of his plea agreement, Kueng admitted that he held Floyd's torso, that he knew from his experience and training that restraining a handcuffed person in a prone position created a substantial risk, and that the restraint of Floyd was unreasonable under the circumstances.

Kueng agreed to a state sentence of 3 1/2 years in prison, to be served at the same time as his federal sentence and in federal custody. He received credit for 84 days he already served.

Kueng's sentencing will bring the cases against all of the former officers a step closer to resolution, though the state case against Thao is still pending.

Ben Crump, the attorney for the Floyd family, said the sentence is another piece of justice.

"While the family faces yet another holiday season without George, we hope that moments like these continue to bring them a measure of peace, knowing that George's death was not in vain," he said in a statement.

Kueng said little, only responding to basic questions from Judge Peter Cahill.

But his attorney, Thomas Plunkett, had strong words for leaders in the police department, accusing them of not implementing "meaningful" training and arguing they failed Kueng who was a rookie on May 25, 2020.

"Protestors have called for justice. Unfortunately, justice has become nothing more than mean-spirited revenge," he said. "I'm not calling for justice. I'm calling for progress. That way Floyd's death and Mr. Kueng's punishment is not in vain."

Ben Crump, who leads the legal team representing the Floyd family, said in a statement the sentencing brings "another piece of justice."

"While the family faces yet another holiday season without George, we hope that moments like these continue to bring them a measure of peace, knowing that George's death was not in vain," the statement reads.

Thao previously told Judge Peter Cahill that it "would be lying" to plead guilty. In October, he agreed to what's called a stipulated evidence trial on the aiding and abetting manslaughter count. As part of that process, his attorneys and prosecutors are working out agreed-upon evidence in his case and filing written closing arguments. Cahill will then decide whether he is guilty or not.

If Thao is convicted, the murder count — which carries a presumptive sentence of 12 1/2 years in prison — will be dropped.

Chauvin, who is white, was convicted of state murder and manslaughter charges last year and is serving 22 1/2 years in the state case. He also pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating Floyd's civil rights and was sentenced to 21 years. He is serving the sentences concurrently at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona.

Kueng, Lane and Thao were convicted of federal charges in February: All three were convicted of depriving Floyd of his right to medical care and Thao and Kueng were also convicted of failing to intervene to stop Chauvin during the killing.

Lane, who is white, is serving his 2 1/2-year federal sentence at a facility in Colorado. He's serving a three-year state sentence at the same time. Kueng, who is Black, was sentenced to three years on the federal counts; Thao, who is Hmong American, got a 3 1/2-year federal sentence.