US policeman admits complicity in the murder of George Floyd

One of the three police officers who did nothing during the killing of black American George Floyd by police in Minneapolis in Minnesota in 2020, has pleaded guilty to complicity in the manslaughter, and will therefore avoid a trial that will begin in June, the state's judiciary announced.

Thomas Lane "admitted his responsibility in his contribution to the murder" of George Floyd, according to a statement issued by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.

"This admission that he did something hurtful is an important step toward healing the Floyd family, our community and the nation," he added.

The former police officer, who was accused of complicity in the murder, accepted the plea agreement after reclassifying the charges during a court hearing in Minneapolis, a court spokesperson said.

Under the terms of this agreement, he will be sentenced to three years in federal prison.

"We hope that (the agreement) will open a new era in which police officers will understand that some judges will hold them accountable, as they might do to other citizens," said Floyd's lawyer, Ben Crump.

None of his other colleagues, Tu Thao and Alexander Koenig, have admitted responsibility, and their trial is scheduled to begin on June 13.

The three police officers who were present at the arrest of George Floyd were convicted of non-intervention to help the African-American, in federal court in February.

Judgment will be issued at a later time.

In June 2021, a Minnesota court sentenced a fourth policeman, Derek Chauvin, to 22 and a half years in prison for murder.

Chauvin had put his knee on Floyd's neck for long minutes on May 25, 2020, which caused him to suffocate and kill him.

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