MOn February 15, one of the four police officers present at the death of George Floyd, in Minneapolis (Minnesota) on May 25, 2020, fiercely denied any involvement in the case, taking care to differentiate himself from his colleagues. Dressed in a dark suit and aged 35, Tou Thao, of Laotian origin, appeared in the context of a federal trial in Saint-Paul, which began on January 20.
During the intervention that caused the death of George Floyd, Tou Thao never stopped hammering that he stayed away from the scene, only responsible for monitoring the area while his colleagues tried to challenge the forties. “I had a different role to play,” he explained, posing as “a human traffic cone” positioned around the corner to prevent an accident, while his colleagues sought to master the Afro- American.
On May 25, 2020, Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, two new Minneapolis police recruits, were called by a merchant who suspected George Floyd of having used a counterfeit $20 bill to pay for a pack of cigarettes. As they struggled to get this imposing man into their vehicle, they were joined by two experienced agents, Tou Thao and Derek Chauvin.
“In eight years of career, I had never seen such a fight”, declared Tou Thao, assuring that George Floyd had “superhuman strength” and “was under the influence of drugs” which, according to him, justified to pin him to the ground, handcuffed. Derek Chauvin then knelt on his neck, the two new ones at his side, while Tou Thao kept the panicked passers-by at a distance. The four men had not moved, despite the gasps of the forties. The scene, filmed and posted online, sparked huge protests against racism and police violence across the United States.
” No idea “
In June, Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison by a Minnesota state court. His three colleagues will be tried in this context from June 13 for “complicity in murder”. At the same time, federal justice has opened proceedings for “violation of civil rights” by George Floyd. In December, Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty in this part, admitting for the first time a share of responsibility in the drama.
His three colleagues have therefore been appearing without him for almost three weeks. They are notably accused of not having brought the necessary help to the forties, despite the signs of medical distress, when it is an obligation for the police. At the helm, Tou Thao said he “had no idea” of the seriousness of George Floyd’s condition before help arrived. Pressed by the prosecution, he repeated that he “assumed” that his colleagues were taking care of it.
But he had to admit that he had seen Derek Chauvin put his knee on the neck of the forties. He also admitted that he often watched what was happening behind him. “Does that mean you knew George Floyd wasn’t resisting? asked the prosecutor. “It’s possible,” he replied, visibly struggling.
Cross-examination is due to resume on Wednesday. The other two defendants, who between them had ten patrols to their credit, should also take the stand. They should insist on the ascendancy exercised by Derek Chauvin and his 19 years of experience in the police.
