In an attempt to avoid more serious charges the former officer plead guilty Wednesday in the death of George Floyd. As part of the plea deal; the second degree murder charge of aiding in George Floyd’s death that occured May 25 2020, will be dismissed.
Moreover the state recommends a sentence of three year prison time for the former officer.
Thomas Lane has pled guilty to 2nd-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. My thoughts are once again with the victims, George Floyd and his family. Floyd should still be with us. But I am pleased Thomas Lane has accepted responsibility for his role in Floyd’s death.
— Attorney General Keith Ellison (@AGEllison) May 18, 2022
General Keith Ellison, whose office prosecuted the case, said he was pleased that Lane accepted responsibility for his role in Floyd’s death.
“My thoughts are once again with the victims, George Floyd and his family,” Ellison said in a tweet. “Floyd should still be with us. But I am pleased Thomas Lane has accepted responsibility for his role in Floyd’s death.”
In an earlier statement, he said the move was necessary towards achieving justice.
“His acknowledgement he did something wrong is an important step toward healing the wounds of the Floyd family, our community, and the nation,” Ellison said. “While accountability is not justice, this is a significant moment in this case and a necessary resolution on our continued journey to justice.”
The plea by Lane, who is white, comes during a week when the country is focused on the deaths of 10 Black people in Buffalo, New York, at the hands of an 18-year-old white man, who carried out the racist, livestreamed shooting Saturday in a supermarket.