Three of the four officers charged in George Floyd's death are now out on bond
One of the former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd was released from jail on July 4 after posting $750,000 bond. He is now the third of the four officers involved in Floyd's death who has been set free while awaiting trial.
Tou Thao, 34, posted bond late on Saturday morning, according to Hennepin County jail records. Two of the other former officers, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, were released last month on $750,000 bond.
All three officers face counts for aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder, as well as aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
The only officer who remains behind bars is Derek Chauvin, who was caught on camera kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly eight minutes during an arrest on May 25th, causing Floyd to lose consciousness and later die. Chauvin is charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He is being held on $1 million bond.
In the video, Thao is seen standing by and keeping pedestrians away as Chauvin keeps his knee on Floyd's neck, while Floyd begs for his life and says "I can't breathe." All four officers were fired before being charged for Floyd's death.
All four officers appeared in a Hennepin County courtroom last week. Thao's attorney said he would file a motion to move the trial, and representatives for all four officers said TV cameras should be allowed in the courtroom for the trial.
Chauvin and Thao are set to appear in court on September 11. The trial is set for March 2021.
The video of Floyd's death set off a worldwide protest movement calling for policing reform.
