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Thomas Lane (right) in September 2020
Photo: Jim Mone/AP
More than two years ago, police officers in the United States killed African American George Floyd during an operation, and now another person involved has to go to prison: Thomas Lane, 39, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in a federal court in St. Paul, Minnesota.
This is reported by several US media, including the "New York Times" and the broadcaster CNN.
The death of the African American Floyd on May 25, 2020 in the brutal police operation in Minneapolis triggered demonstrations against racism and police violence in the United States.
Videos documented police officers pinning the unarmed man to the ground.
White officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for about nine minutes while Floyd begged him to breathe.
According to the autopsy, Floyd lost consciousness and died.
In June 2021, Chauvin, who had been suspended in the meantime, was sentenced to 22 years and six months for murder.
He's already serving that sentence.
Earlier this month, a federal court sentenced the 46-year-old to an additional 21 years in prison.
In February of this year, Lane and his colleagues Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, who were also involved at the time, were found guilty in federal court in St. Paul of violating Floyd's constitutional civil rights.
The former police officers were accused of not providing medical assistance.
Kueng and Thao were also found guilty of failing to try to stop Chauvin's use of violence.
The sentences against the two men have not yet been announced.
tfb/dpa
