George Floyd death: Jury resumes deliberations in trial of ex-officers charged

The three ex-officers each face a count of deprivation of rights under color of law for failing to give Floyd medical aid. Thao and Kueng are also charged with failing to intervene in Chauvin’s use of unreasonable force. The three have pleaded not guilty to the federal charges and are being tried together.

The jury, which consists of eight women and four men, deliberated for more than seven hours Wednesday after receiving instructions from Judge Paul Magnuson. The deliberations resumed Thursday morning just after 9 a.m.

“They had opportunity and means to (help) and didn’t … Disregarding that is willfulness,” Assistant US Attorney LeeAnn Bell said during closing arguments.

However, each of the three former officers took the stand and tried to place blame elsewhere, saying they had a lack of proper training and that they deferred to Chauvin, the most senior officer on scene.

“I think I would trust a 19-year veteran to figure it out,” Thao said on the stand.

The trial is the second such criminal proceeding to break down in detail Floyd’s final moments on May 25, 2020. As captured on harrowing video by an onlooker, the 46-year-old Black man was handcuffed and pressed face down into the pavement for over 9 minutes as he screamed “I can’t breathe.” Floyd soon fell unconscious and stopped breathing, yet officers continued to restrain his limp body until after paramedics arrived.

What the 3 officers said

The arrest began after Floyd came under suspicion of having used a counterfeit $20 bill at a Minneapolis convenience store. All three ex-officers testified that Floyd seemed to be displaying some erratic behavior at the start of their encounter.

Lane — who was working just his fourth day with the Minneapolis Police Department — and Kueng were the first to arrive on the scene. Kueng testified Floyd “was very hyperactive” and had difficulty responding to questions when initially approached by police.