A former Minneapolis police officer is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday for his role in the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man killed in May 2020 after a fellow cop knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes, as per a report by news agency Reuters.
J Alexander Kueng, who pleaded guilty to one count of assisting and abetting manslaughter in October, is set to be sentenced to three and a half years in prison during a hearing in Hennepin County District Court.
The hearing, which was initially set for the morning, was delayed due to technical difficulties, the court stated.
On May 25, 2020, Kueng was one of four cops summoned to a Minneapolis grocery store and attempted to arrest Floyd on suspicion of using a forged $20 cash to purchase smokes.
During the interaction, the senior cop on the scene, Derek Chauvin, used his knee to pin the shackled Floyd's neck to the ground, killing him.
Chauvin was found guilty of murder in a state trial and sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to related federal charges and is currently serving a 21-year federal sentence concurrently.
ALSO READ: Suicide Bombing At Indonesia Police Station Kills 2, Injures 9. JAD Link Suspected: Reports
The three other cops were found guilty in federal court of violating Floyd's civil rights and sentenced to between 2-1/2 and 3-1/2 years in prison in July.
According to a spokesperson for Hennepin County District Court, Kueng's plea deal on the state crime includes a term of 3-1/2 years to be served concurrently with his federal sentence. Lane agreed to a similar plea bargain in May.
Thao has agreed to forego his right to a jury trial after rejecting a comparable agreement in August. Instead, a state judge will decide his guilt based on the evidence presented by both the prosecution and the defence.
(With Inputs From Agencies)