A former Minneapolis police officer charged in the killing of George Floyd has been released from jail, according to Hennepin County jail records.
Tou Thao, age 34, is the third former officer accused in Floyd’s death to be released on bond. He posted US$750,000 bond on Saturday, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported. All four officers on the scene of Floyd’s death have been fired and face criminal charges.
Floyd, who was Black and handcuffed, died May 25 while being arrested. A white police officer used his knee to pin Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes as Floyd begged for air and eventually stopped moving. Besides the charges against the officers, Floyd’s death led to worldwide protests over police brutality and racial injustice.
Thao is set to appear in court on September 11 on charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
Two other former officers, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, face the same charges as Thao. Derek Chauvin, the officer who pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck, is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter with culpable negligence. He remains in police custody.