Former Minneapolis police officer found guilty for role in George Floyd's death – Axios

A former Minneapolis police officer who held back bystanders as Derek Chauvin restrained George Floyd has been convicted of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.Driving the news: Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill issued his decision against Tou Thao in court documents filed Monday night. The more serious charge of aiding and abetting murder was dropped. Thao, who has maintained his innocence, had waived his right to a jury trial in favor of a bench trial. Flashback: Then-state prosecutor Matthew Frank argued as part of the proceedings that Thao “made a conscious decision to actively participate in Floyd’s death” by providing crowd control and blocking an off-duty firefighter from providing medical assistance, per KARE 11.Thao’s attorney argued that his client was following MPD training and not directly responsible for Floyd’s death.Of note: Thao was convicted of violating Floyd’s civil rights in a separate federal trial last year. He’s already serving a 3 1/2 year sentence connected to that case.State of play: Two other officers who were with Chauvin and Thao when Floyd was killed already pleaded guilty to state criminal charges. Chauvin was convicted of murder and sentenced to 22.5 years behind bars. His request for a new trial was rejected by
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