Former officer charged in George Floyd's death leaves jail after posting bail
One of four police officers charged in the death of George Floyd has posted bail and is out of jail. According to online records, Thomas Lane, 37, posted bail of $750,000 and was released from the Hennepin County Jail, with conditions, shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Records show the other officers remained in custody.
Lane is charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter for his role in the arrest of Floyd, a handcuffed black man who died Memorial Day after another officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee to Floyd's neck as Floyd cried out that he couldn't breathe and became motionless.
Lane's attorney Earl Gray did not immediately return a message seeking comment. But last week Gray said that Lane was a rookie, and called the case against his client "weak," CBS Minnesota reported.
Gray said that the only thing he did was hold Floyd's feet so he couldn't kick. The criminal complaint also says that Lane expressed concern about Floyd and asked Chauvin twice if they should roll Floyd to his side, but Chauvin said no. Gray said Lane also performed CPR in the ambulance.
"If three cops are trying to restrain somebody and one doesn't agree, well that one cop should go beat up the other two cops and let the guy go? That's absurd," Gray said last week.
CBS Minnesota reported that Lane was not a complete rookie with the department; he was hired as a police cadet in February of 2019 and was promoted to a police officer in December 2019.
Nine Minneapolis city council members — a veto-proof majority — announced that they aim to defund and dismantle the Minneapolis police department and shift the focus to a more compassionate and community-centered approach.
Both Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo support reform instead of defunding, with Arradondo announcing earlier Wednesday that the department is pulling out of contract negotiations with the Minneapolis Police Officers Federation.