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J. Alexander Kueng, ex-officer who kneeled on George Floyd's back, released from prison

Officer convicted in killing of George Floyd to be released from prison on Wednesday
Officer convicted in killing of George Floyd to be released from prison on Wednesday 00:25

MINNEAPOLIS — One of the ex-Minneapolis police officers convicted in the killing of George Floyd finished his prison sentence on Wednesday.

J. Alexander Kueng, who kneeled on Floyd's back, was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for aiding and abetting manslaughter in December 2022.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed Keung was released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Elkton, Ohio. A spokesperson for the bureau said federal inmates typically serve 85% of their prison sentences, but "there is leeway with the First Step Act and other factors." Keung is on probation until March 16, 2026.

Keung pleaded guilty the same day jury selection was set to begin in his trial in October 2022.

Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after former officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd's neck for 9 1/2 minutes as Floyd repeatedly said he couldn't breathe and eventually went limp. The killing, which was recorded on video by a bystander, sparked worldwide protests as part of a broader reckoning over racial injustice.

Kueng kneeled on Floyd's back during the restraint. Then-officer Thomas Lane held Floyd's legs and Tou Thao, also an officer at the time, kept bystanders from intervening. All of the officers were fired and convicted of state and federal charges.

Lane was released from prison in August last year after being sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison. Thao was sentenced to nearly five years in prison.

Chauvin was convicted of state murder and manslaughter charges and is serving 22.5 years in the state case. He also pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating Floyd's civil rights and was sentenced to 21 years. He is serving the sentences concurrently at the Federal Correctional Institution in Big Spring, Texas.

In the wake of Floyd's murder, the Minneapolis Police Department faced dual investigations from the Minnesota Department of Human Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice. Both investigations found yearslong patterns of discriminatory practices and mandated the city enter into reformatory consent decrees, which the Minneapolis City Council approved earlier this month.

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