Former Minneapolis Officer Released from Prison

Thomas Lane, a former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the killing of George Floyd, was released from federal prison on Tuesday, as confirmed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Lane, 41, was found guilty in 2022 of violating Floyd's civil rights during the fatal arrest on May 25, 2020. As a rookie officer, Lane restrained Floyd's legs while Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd's neck. Lane received a two-and-a-half-year federal sentence in July 2022, which he served concurrently with a three-year state sentence for aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. Lane's federal sentence expired earlier this year, and his state sentence concluded with his release on Tuesday. Following his release, Lane will be under a two-year term of supervision imposed by the District of Minnesota. His attorney did not provide immediate comments regarding his release. Lane was one of four officers convicted in connection with Floyd's death, which ignited widespread protests against racial injustice and police brutality. Derek Chauvin, the officer who directly caused Floyd's death, was sentenced to 22.5 years for murder and later received a concurrent 21-year federal sentence for civil rights violations. He was recently transferred to a federal prison in Texas after being stabbed in Arizona. Other officers involved, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, also received prison sentences for their roles in the incident, highlighting the broader implications of Floyd's death on policing and civil rights in America.