Current:Home > MySupreme Court rejects appeal by ex-officer Tou Thao, who held back crowd as George Floyd lay dying-LoTradeCoin
Supreme Court rejects appeal by ex-officer Tou Thao, who held back crowd as George Floyd lay dying
View Date:2024-12-23 15:48:52
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review the federal civil rights conviction of a former Minneapolis police officer who held back a concerned crowd while fellow officers pinned down a dying George Floyd.
The high court, without comment, on Monday rejected the appeal of Tou Thao, who had argued that prosecutors failed to prove his actions on the day that Floyd died were willful, and alleged that prosecutorial misconduct deprived him of his right to a fair trial.
Thao had testified that he merely served as a “human traffic cone” when he held back concerned bystanders as former Officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, knelt on Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes while the Black man pleaded for his life on May 25, 2020. A bystander video captured Floyd’s fading cries of “I can’t breathe.” Floyd’s murder touched off protests worldwide and forced a national reckoning on police brutality and racism.
Thao was one of three former officers who were convicted in a 2022 federal trial of violating Floyd’s civil rights. Chauvin pleaded guilty in that case earlier, after being convicted of second-degree murder in a separate trial in state court. Thao and the two other former officers were convicted in state court of aiding and abetting Floyd’s murder. Thao is serving his 3 1/2-year federal and 4 3/4-year state sentences concurrently.
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Chauvin’s appeal of his state murder conviction in November. He’s recovering from being stabbed 22 times by a fellow inmate at the federal prison in Tucson, Arizona, later that week. He’s appealing his federal conviction separately.
veryGood! (29917)
Related
- Fantasy football buy low, sell high: 10 trade targets for Week 11
- Transcript: David Martin and John Sullivan on Face the Nation, June 25, 2023
- Trump Admin Responds to Countries’ Climate Questions With Boilerplate Answers
- Tyson Ritter Says Machine Gun Kelly Went Ballistic on Him Over Megan Fox Movie Scene Suggestion
- Crews battle 'rapid spread' conditions against Jennings Creek fire in Northeast
- Montana bridge collapse sends train cars into Yellowstone River, prompting federal response
- As Solar and Wind Prices Fall, Coal’s Future is Fading Fast, BNEF Says
- Solar Power Taking Hold in Nigeria, One Mobile Phone at a Time
- Seattle man faces 5 assault charges in random sidewalk stabbings
- Get $150 Worth of Clean Beauty Products for Just $36: Peter Thomas Roth, Elemis, Osea, and More
Ranking
- The Latin Grammys are almost here for a 25th anniversary celebration
- DeSantis unveils border plan focused on curbing illegal immigration
- SZA Details Decision to Get Brazilian Butt Lift After Plastic Surgery Speculation
- The Best Memorial Day 2023 You Can Still Shop Today: Wayfair, Amazon, Kate Spade, Nordstrom, and More
- Vogue Model Dynus Saxon Charged With Murder After Stabbing Attack
- Transcript: Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Face the Nation, June 25, 2023
- Coast Guard launches investigation into Titan sub implosion
- 988 mental health crisis line gets 5 million calls, texts and chats in first year
Recommendation
-
Jana Duggar Reveals She's Adjusting to City Life Amid Move Away From Farm
-
Zendaya and Tom Holland’s Future on Spider-Man Revealed
-
Al Roker Makes Sunny Return to Today Show 3 Weeks After Knee Surgery
-
Vaccines could be the next big thing in cancer treatment, scientists say
-
FC Cincinnati player Marco Angulo dies at 22 after injuries from October crash
-
The Surprising List of States Leading U.S. on Renewable Energy
-
Nordstrom Rack Has Jaw-Dropping Madewell Deals— The 83% Off Sale Ends Today
-
Dr. Anthony Fauci to join the faculty at Georgetown University, calling the choice a no-brainer