A truck driver who drove into a large crowd of protesters on a bridge in Minneapolis following the killing of Floyd was charged Thursday with two criminal counts. THOMAS Lane and J Alexander Kueng are two of the disgraced MInneapolis police officers charged in connection with George Floyd’s death. He joined the police department as a cadet in February 2019. Lane was fired on May 26, one day after George Floyd was killed in police custody. He studied at Mounds View High School, Arden Hills, Minnesota from 1998 to 2000. When the third-degree murder charge was filed, the Minnesota chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union asked the state to take over the case from Hennepin County, saying more serious charges were warranted. After Cahill's ruling, Gov. Protesters demonstrated in the streets after Chauvin was released on bail earlier this month, resulting in dozens of arrests. “Let me see your other hand! Many legal observers initially believed the third-degree murder count wasn’t a good fit, and activists and family members had called for more serious charges. Lane was also new to … the death of George Floyd in police custody Monday night. Both hands!” officer Thomas Lane … “This is not an appropriate case for a third-degree murder charge,” he said. Charges were brought against Lane… He said a jury will decide whether they are guilty. He’s the grandson of a detective. Former Minneapolis officers Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao in police photos. But to prove a third-degree murder charge, prosecutors must show that Chauvin's intentional conduct was “eminently dangerous to others” and not specifically directed at Floyd, Cahill said. ©2020 FOX Television Stations. Thomas Lane was one of the four police officers … Skip to comments. Former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane poses for a mugshot after being charged with aiding ...[+] and abetting second-degree murder in the death of … Lane had been on the police force for four days when Floyd died. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Lane and Kueng heard Floyd say he couldn’t breathe, knew Chauvin was kneeling on Floyd’s neck, and heard the cries of the crowd, yet they continued to restrain Floyd by his legs and back, Cahill said. Lane was fired on May 26, one day after George Floyd was killed in police custody. Nicole Kettwick, a criminal defense attorney not associated with this case, said the dismissal of that count is not surprising because the facts currently known don’t fit the elements of the charge. Lane was also new to … If you need help with the Public File, call (713) 778-4745. This story has been corrected to show the name of one of the officers charged in Floyd's death is J. Kueng, not J. Jueng. He said prosecutors also must show that their presence or actions allowed the crime to continue. I cannot come up with a good answer to that question.”, This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. After Floyd loses consciousness, Chauvin continues to press on his neck. Former Minneapolis Police Officers Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng Identified In George Floyd Arrest Heavey.com ^ | 05 27 2020 | Talis Shelbourne Posted on 05/27/2020 6:24:03 PM PDT by yesthatjallen. Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. Ex-Minneapolis Police Officer Thomas Lane was a Rookie While we join the rest of the country in calling for justice in the murder of George Floyd, we recognize that officer Thomas Lane was just a rookie when he assisted veteran officers Derek Chauvin and … The four officers are Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng. Cahill also found probable cause for the aiding and abetting charges to proceed against Lane, Kueng and Thao, saying they could be found criminally liable if prosecutors can prove they intentionally aided or conspired with Chauvin, and that they knew Chauvin was committing a crime at the time. MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota judge has dismissed a third-degree murder charge filed against the former Minneapolis police officer who pressed his … Cahill said Thao never physically restrained Floyd, but could see and hear what was happening, and his actions to keep the crowd away allowed the restraint of Floyd to continue. Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. "If you had done it or I had done it, we would be behind bars right now. MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota judge has dismissed a third-degree murder charge filed against the former Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee against George Floyd's neck, saying there was not enough probable cause for that count to proceed to trial. George Floyd’s deadly Memorial Day encounter with the Minneapolis Police began when a rookie officer approached his car. He said prosecutors do not need to show Chauvin's actions were the sole cause of Floyd’s death. Lane never tried to extract himself from the situation or assertively tell Chauvin to stop, he said. He didn’t have a history of complaints. Floyd later died at Hennepin County Medical Center. While former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was convicted of third-degree murder in the 2017 killing of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, Cahill said the cases are “factually distinguishable.” Noor fired a gun outside his squad car window, potentially endangering a nearby bicyclist, residents, possible bystanders, his partner, or others. “The ACLU of Minnesota expected today’s ruling and believes it’s an appropriate step in this legal process,” ACLU of Minnesota executive director John Gordon said in a statement. Before he was hired as a Minneapolis police officer, Thomas Lane collected a laundry list of criminal charges and traffic citations, according to records obtained by Insider. Cahill also found probable cause to move forward with the aiding and abetting counts against three other former officers, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao. On the second-degree murder charge, prosecutors presented probable cause to show Chauvin's actions were a “substantial causal factor” in Floyd’s death, and that he was committing or attempting to commit another felony at the time, in this case, assault, Cahill wrote. Attorney Ben Crump said in a statement that Floyd’s family is grateful most of the counts were preserved, including the more serious second-degree murder count, “for which we expect a conviction, based on the clear and evident use of excessive force that we all saw on video.”. Floyd, a Black man in handcuffs, died May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck as he said he couldn’t breathe. In this case, Cahill said, “nothing about the manner in which Chauvin pressed his knee down on Floyd’s neck ... was eminently dangerous to anyone other than Floyd,” who was the target of Chauvin’s actions. Floyd's death sparked protests in Minneapolis and beyond, and led to a nationwide reckoning on race. MINNEAPOLIS --The Minneapolis Police Department has identified the four police officers who were fired following the death of George Floyd in police custody Monday night. The initial court appearance for three of the four ex-Minneapolis police officers involved with George Floyd's appeared to be a standard hearing - until Thomas Lane… “Today was a good day for achieving justice for George Floyd.”. Before he was hired as a Minneapolis police officer, Thomas Lane collected a laundry list of criminal charges and traffic citations, according to records obtained by Insider. Frey said in his opening statement. Former Minneapolis officers Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao in police photos. They are scheduled to stand trial in March. Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. Former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane poses for a mugshot after being charged with aiding ...[+] and abetting second-degree murder in the death of … The fact that Lane asked if Floyd should be rolled to a recovery position shows Lane knew “the consequences of keeping Floyd pinned face-down to the ground” but elected to “stay the course,” Cahill said. Lane had been on the police force for four days when Floyd died. He joined the police department as a cadet in February 2019. Derek Chauvin, the former police officers who was captured on video pressing his knee against George Floyd's neck, has had his third-degree murder … “In this court's view, with one exception, the State has met its burden of showing probable cause that warrants proceeding to trial against each of these Defendants on each of the criminal charges the State has filed against them,” Cahill wrote. Tim Walz activated the Minnesota National Guard in anticipation of protests. He didn’t have a history of complaints. Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill's ruling, dated Wednesday and made public Thursday, found probable cause for Chauvin to be tried on one count of unintentional second-degree murder and one count of second-degree manslaughter. Even if restraining Floyd was initially justified, that doesn't grant the officers “carte blanche” to continue to restrain him without considering the changing circumstances, the judge said. He also said Chauvin’s decision to continue kneeling on Floyd’s neck after he went silent and motionless “is strong evidence of Chauvin’s intent to inflict bodily harm.”. Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office is now the lead prosecutor on the case. Lane and Kueng's rookie status is irrelevant, he said: “There is no free pass under state law for rookies who choose to disregard their training at the suggestion of a senior officer.”. SpaceX to launch 15th batch of Starlink satellites on Saturday, Milwaukee pumpkin giveaway offers free Halloween fun, High school sports adjust to COVID-19 reality in Wisconsin, Badgers fans adapt to football season opener during pandemic, 2 on board Navy aircraft killed in Alabama crash, authorities say, Recognize him? Follow Amy Forliti on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/amyforliti. Milwaukee police seek to ID armed robbery suspect, Former Horlick hoops star killed the day before he was to leave WI, Hartford man sentenced to 27 years for sex trafficking, Woman charged in double-fatal crash on Milwaukee's south side, Caught on camera: Milwaukee police seek help to ID theft suspects. The more serious second-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin remains. Thomas Lane (born in 1983), 37, born and raised in Saint Paul (Minnesota, USA), completed his police academy training in March 2019 and joined Minneapolis Police Department in December. A video taken by a bystander showed one of the officers, now identified as Chauvin, pinning Floyd to the ground and pressing his knee into his neck as Floyd repeatedly says, “I can’t breathe.”. On Wednesday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called on Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman to file criminal charges against the arresting officer in Floyd’s death.“I’ve wrestled, more than anything else over the last 36 hours, with one fundamental question: Why is the man who killed George Floyd not in jail?" None of the other officers on the scene attempted to check Floyd’s pulse until the ambulance arrived, despite bystanders’ pleas. Mohamed Noor was convicted of third-degree murder. All rights reserved. All four officers were fired. The four officers are Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng.Floyd, 46, died at the hospital after he was detained by Minneapolis police officers near the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue South Monday night.