Former Minneapolis Officer Tou Thao to Be Released After George Floyd Murder Conviction

Tou Thao, a former Minneapolis police officer convicted for his role in the murder of George Floyd, is scheduled for release from federal prison in Lexington, Kentucky, on November 3, 2025. Thao was found guilty in 2023 of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter and violating Floyd's civil rights by preventing bystanders from assisting Floyd as Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck. He is serving concurrent federal and state sentences and will remain on supervised release until June 2027. Thao refused a plea deal accepted by fellow officers Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng, who have already been released. Derek Chauvin, who received the longest sentence for Floyd's murder, remains incarcerated. Thao's release marks the last of the three officers, aside from Chauvin, to leave prison following their convictions related to Floyd's death.