Former Minneapolis officer convicted in George Floyd's murder released from prison

Ex-MPD cop Tou Thao sentencing: RAW

The fourth and final former Minneapolis police officer charged for his role in George Floyd's murder was sentenced in court on Monday. Here's the full sentencing hearing.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Tou Thao, one of four officers convicted on charges in the murder of George Floyd, has been released from federal prison.

Tou Thao released

What we know:

Thao was released on Monday from a federal facility in Lexington, Kentucky, and is now under post-release supervision through Anoka County Corrections, prison records show.

Thao's sentence

The backstory:

Thao was convicted of both federal and state charges related to George Floyd's murder. In the state case, he was sentenced to 4.75 years in prison for aiding and abetting manslaughter. The state case sentence ran concurrent with a federal civil rights conviction.

Thao was among the officers at the scene of Floyd's killing who stood by as Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd for more than nine minutes.

Unlike the other two assisting officers, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, Thao opted to take his state case to trial. The decision left Thao's fate in the hands of Judge Peter Cahill.

In his decision, Cahill found Thao guilty, writing Thao "made a conscious decision to actively participate in Floyd's death: he held back the concerned bystanders and even prevented an off-duty Minneapolis firefighter from rendering the medical aid Floyd so desperately needed."

Dig deeper:

At sentencing, Thao said he never intended to do any harm when he responded to the Floyd scene. "I did the best I thought I could," Thao told the court. "Obviously, the outcome didn't come out the way I wanted it."

Thao also leaned on religion during his sentencing, reading Bible passages in court, and saying he'd found comfort in his faith while facing trial.