Source: Star Tribune via Getty Images / Getty
J. Alexander Kueng, one of the officers involved in the tragic 2020 death of George Floyd, is set to be released from prison. According to CBS News, this week, the Federal Bureau of Prisons issued a statement confirming that Kueng would be freed from a Federal Correctional Institution in Elkton, Ohio. Kare 11 noted that the former officer was set to be released on Jan. 15.
Kueng was one of four officers involved in the fatal restraint of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The former officer kneeled on the 46-year-old’s back as former police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes. During the restraint, former officer Thomas Lane held Floyd’s legs so that he could not move, and Officer Tou Thao stood guard, preventing bystanders from intervening. All four officers were later fired and convicted on both state and federal charges for their roles in Floyd’s death. The tragic incident, captured on video by a bystander, ignited global protests and fueled a larger movement demanding accountability for racial injustice.
In December 2022, Kueng was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison for aiding and abetting manslaughter. A representative from the Federal Bureau of Prisons explained to CBS that it is standard procedure for federal inmates to serve 85% of their sentences. However, they noted that there is some flexibility due to the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform law aimed at reducing sentences for nonviolent offenders and providing them with opportunities for early release through rehabilitation programs.
Kueng’s release comes just one year after former officer Lane was freed from prison in August 2024, following a 2.5-year sentence in federal prison. Thao was sentenced to nearly five years.
Source: Star Tribune via Getty Images / Getty
Derek Chauvin, convicted of state murder and manslaughter charges, is currently serving a 22.5-year sentence in the state case while continuing to fight for an appeal. In the wake of these legal proceedings, lawmakers are working urgently to ensure that no one ever again faces such violence at the hands of law enforcement.
In May 2024, the late Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, joined by the families of Black individuals killed by police, civil rights organizations, and fellow members of Congress, held a press conference to announce the reintroduction of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Originally introduced in 2021, the landmark legislation seeks to address systemic issues within policing, including banning chokeholds, limiting qualified immunity for officers, and establishing a national registry to track instances of police misconduct. The bill passed through the House in March 2021, but it still awaits approval in the Senate.
SEE ALSO:
Inmate Who Stabbed Derek Chauvin Was Inspired By Black Lives Matter Movement: Report
Jail Justice: Social Media Memes Mock Derek Chauvin After George Floyd’s Murderer Stabbed In Prison
J. Alexander Kueng, Ex-Officer Who Kneeled On George Floyd’s Back, Set To Be Released From Prison
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