After Thomas Lane, second Minneapolis cop charged in George Floyd's death Alexander Kueng released from jail
One of the four former Minneapolis police officers who have been charged in the death of Geroge Floyd has been released from jail after posting bail. On Friday, June 19, J. Alexander Kueng was released from the Hennepin County jail. The 26-year-old had a $750,000 bond.
Kueng is one of the three ex-cops charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter of Floyd, an unarmed African-American, on May 25. Kueng is the second officer to be released on bail after Thomas Lane who was bailed on June 10. The death of Floyd has sparked nationwide protests in the US demanding justice for the 46-year-old black man who was allegedly killed by former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin who knelt on his neck for 7 minutes and 46 seconds.
According to reports, Kueng and Lane were the first ones to approach Floyd on the evening of May 25 after getting a report that someone had tried to make a purchase using a fake $20 bill at a store. When officers arrived at the scene, Floyd was getting into a car. The two officers asked him to get out of the car and put him under arrest but he “stiffened up” and “fell to the ground”.
Kueng and Lane then reportedly told other officers in the squad car that Floyd was claustrophobic and did not want to get into the police vehicle. Other officers including Chauvin and Tou Thao then approached the victim and tried to get him into the police vehicle, but Floyd “struggled with the officers by intentionally falling down”, a criminal complaint stated. The report also mentioned that Chauvin then pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck that left the victim pleading: “I can’t breathe” and “please”, but it did not bother the former cop as he continued to do what he was doing.
A witness video released last week showed Kueng holding onto Floyd's back while he was lying in the street. The video then showed Kueng telling other officers that he “couldn't find” Floyd's pulse. Authorities said even after Kueng’s statement, Chauvin kept pressing his knee on the victim’s neck for about two minutes. The charging documents against the officers have said that Lane - who initially took Floyd into custody - held down the father-of-five's legs, while Kueng held his back and Chauvin knelt down on his neck.
The witness’ video of Floyd’s arrest also showed bystanders pleading with the officers to stop. A man and a woman were heard in the video requesting officers to check Floyd's pulse, while more people urged them to help him. “You think that's okay? Check his pulse!” a man was heard yelling in the video as Thao argued with a woman nearby.
“They ain't moved yet bro. He has not moved not one time!” the man continued as he asked Thao: “You’re going to let him kill that man in front of you?” The woman was then heard yelling at the officers, “Tell me what his pulse is right now!” while another woman asked in the background: “Did they just f**king kill him?” But instead of helping Floyd, Thao argued with the witnesses, yelling for them to remain on the sidewalk and not come any closer.
Meanwhile, former police officers have said that the police bodycam footage will give another side of the story as it will “prove” there was a struggle. The bodycam footage has not been released to the public yet as the FBI is investigating it. “It wasn't a violent resistance but it wasn't a kind of non-resistance that an individual should do when police officers are arresting him. He should get out of his vehicle and follow the orders of the police officers. He didn't do that,” Lane's attorney, Earl Gray, said during a CNN interview.