Ex-cop Thomas Lane pleads guilty to manslaughter in George Floyd killing

Former Minneapolis Police officer Thomas Lane has pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter charge in the killing of George Floyd.

Attorney General Keith Ellison announced he had changed his plea to guilty Wednesday morning. Lane, along with J Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, has already been convicted on federal counts of violating the civil rights of Floyd.

"I am pleased Thomas Lane has accepted responsibility for his role in Floyd’s death. His acknowledgment he did something wrong is an important step toward healing the wounds of the Floyd family, our community, and the nation," Ellison said in a statement Wednesday morning. "While accountability is not justice, this is a significant moment in this case and a necessary resolution on our continued journey to justice." 

According to court records, Lane will have a count of aiding and abetting second-degree intentional murder dismissed.

The trial of Kueng and Thao on manslaughter charges is still due to go ahead this summer.

Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder last year and pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights violation. He was sentenced to over 22 years in prison in the state case.

Lane was on the job for four days when Floyd was killed on 38th Street and Chicago Avenue in south Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. Body cameras showed Lane restraining Floyd's legs for about three minutes after telling the other officers that he was "passing out." The former officer also asked the other officers if they should roll Floyd on his side once he lost consciousness, with which Chauvin disagreed.

Even with these actions, state prosecutors argued that Lane didn't do enough to challenge Chauvin, instead continuing to hold down Floyd's legs.

Lane joined first responders in the ambulance and began performing CPR on Floyd at the request of emergency personnel, however, Floyd was pronounced dead at the hospital that evening.