Ex-Mpls. Police Officer Convicted in George Floyd Death to Be Released from Prison Next Week

MINNEAPOLIS — Tou Thao, one of the four fired Minneapolis police officers convicted in George Floyd’s killing during an arrest nearly 5 1/2 years ago, is scheduled to be released from prison next week.

Thao, 39, was convicted in state and federal courts for his role in connection with the murder of Floyd on May 25, 2020, at the corner of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue. Thao kept back bystanders as Floyd was restrained and was “deliberately indifferent to Floyd’s medical needs,” according to the federal case against him, which ended with his conviction of violating Floyd’s civil rights.

The prison records show Thao’s release from a federal facility in Lexington, Kentucky, is set for Monday. He will then be placed on supervised release until June 2027 in connection with his sentence in Hennepin County District Court.

Thao sought to challenge his federal conviction, but the U.S. Supreme Court declined in January 2024 to review his case.

Thao’s attorney Robert Paule said he would check with his client about making a statement in light of his imminent release.

Before Thao became a Minneapolis police officer in 2012, he worked as a supervisor in a fast-food restaurant and as a security guard for a medical device manufacturer.

Two of Thao’s accomplices were freed earlier. J. Alexander Kueng, 32, left the federal prison in Lisbon, Ohio, in January 2025 and remains on supervised release until March 2026 stemming from his state conviction.

Thomas Lane, 42, was released from the federal prison in Littleton, Colorado, in August 2024, and his supervised release ended a year later. He restrained Floyd’s back as officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes.

Thao is serving a 3 1/2-year federal prison sentence concurrently with 4 3/4 years for his state conviction. Kueng served more than three years and Lane served three years for their respective state and federal convictions.

The death of Floyd, who was Black, in the custody of Chauvin, who is white, and the others ignited days of protests and at times deadly and destructive riots in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Chauvin was convicted in Hennepin County District Court in 2021 of second-degree murder and manslaughter. He later pleaded guilty to federal charges for violating Floyd’s civil rights and is serving a 20-year prison term concurrent with his 22-year state sentence.

Chauvin is currently in federal prison in Big Spring, Texas, and is due to be released in November 2037, according to U.S. Bureau of Prisons records. He will then go on supervised release until June 2043.

Thao became a Minneapolis police officer in 2012. As a rookie, he was cited by his training officer eight times for being dishonest or taking shortcuts. Over the years, he had six police conduct complaints filed against him.

He and another officer were accused of punching, kicking and kneeing an unarmed Black man in handcuffs in 2014. The encounter occurred a few blocks from what would be the site of Floyd’s murder. The city settled that case for $25,000.

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